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The Cobweb ending explained that Peter is in a new home, but did he really escape Sarah, and how will he be impacted by killing his parents and other trauma he experienced? Samuel Bodin's directorial debut boasts a stellar cast, including The Boys' Antony Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Cleopatra Coleman, and Woody Norman. The horror movie centers on Peter (Norman), a troubled young boy who begins hearing scratching noises inside his walls.
Soon, Peter discovers it's his sister, Sarah, whom he never knew about because his parents keep her locked in the attic. Peter's parents, Mark (Antony Starr) and Carol (Lizzy Caplan), become more strict and controlling of him as his suspicions of them grow due to Sarah's warnings that they're evil people. Sarah convinces Peter to kill his parents and let her out, but it turns out she was a monster all along. Peter's teacher, Miss Devine (Cleopatra Coleman), rescues him, but does she save him from Sarah?
What Is Sarah?
Cobweb Never Explicitly Explains What Sarah Is
When Sarah starts talking to Peter through the wall, she has a little girl's voice, but after she gets out, her voice changes and becomes more monstrous. Her body is shaped like a human, and she has long hair (full of spiders) from never being cut, but many aspects of her appearance and movements are inhuman. Sarah scurries across the floor and walls like a spider and has superhuman strength, agility, razor-sharp teeth, claws, and glowing eyes.
Cobweb 's story doesn't give any explanation for what she is other than a twisted and abused human being.
Sarah explicitly tells Peter she was "born this way," but when she shows her face, it's far more monstrous than a simple deformity. While Sarah's behavior, speed, agility, flexibility, and appearance are all enough to suggest she's a supernatural movie monster, Cobweb's story doesn't give any explanation for what she is other than a twisted and abused human being. Peter dreams about his parents also doing inhuman things, but everything (other than Sarah) remains grounded and realistic outside his imagination.
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Sarah says her abilities are because she "learned how to climb and bite" during her confinement, so the best explanation is that she was born with a deformity, and years of training and abuse contributed to her other characteristics and abilities.
Were Peter's Parents Actually Evil?
Mark & Carol Were Abusive To Both Sarah & Peter
Throughout the movie, Peter's parents appear more evil and abusive until he kills them with rat poison, and the film reveals Sarah was the monster the whole time. But can every wicked thing Peter's parents did be chalked up to Sarah's manipulation and Peter's imagination and nightmares? Going back to their reaction to Sarah's birth, she says they screamed when she was born, put her in a pit, built a cage for her, and they've had her locked up in the attic for years.
Additionally, they hid the body of the little girl Sarah killed on Halloween, so even in the best-case scenario, they're still highly culpable. Outside of their treatment of Sarah, Peter's parents exhibit numerous textbook red-flag characteristics of an abusive household. They punish Peter for asking for help from his teacher, lock him up in the basement, and gaslight Peter about the scratching he hears inside the walls at night.
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Even if it's true that Sarah was born an evil monster (and didn't become that way because of their abuse), keeping her locked away and secret from Peter instead of seeking outside help in taking care of her creates an unsafe environment. So, while Sarah may have manipulated Peter into killing them, it doesn't change the fact that Mark and Carol were highly abusive.
What Happened to the Girl Who Disappeared on Halloween?
Sarah Killed The Little Girl Years Ago
Early in the movie, Peter's father says they don't let him trick-or-treat on Halloween because years ago, a girl from a house down the street disappeared on Halloween night. After hearing about the story, Miss Devine googles the disappearance to learn 11-year-old Rebecca Holbrook had disappeared on Halloween night wearing a Princess Leia costume, so the story is partially true, although Peter's parents not letting him trick-or-treat for his protection isn't the whole story.
They know what happened to Rebecca Holbrook, and keeping Peter at home on Halloween night is to protect themselves, not him. When Sarah first starts telling Peter his parents are dangerous, she says they've already killed someone and buried them in the garden. When Peter digs in the backyard, he discovers a skull, seemingly confirming Sarah's claim, although, like his parents' story, it's another half-truth.
Sarah was the one who killed Rebecca Holbrook when she showed up to trick-or-treat.
It turns out Sarah was the one who killed Rebecca Holbrook when she showed up to trick-or-treat, and the parents hid the body to protect Sarah (and themselves). Sarah confirms this when Peter's bully, Brian, and his cousins ring the doorbell, and Sarah says, "Just like the girl in the garden."
What Happens at the End of Cobweb?
Miss Devine Saves Peter From Sarah, But His Trauma Lingers
During Cobweb's ending, Miss Devine arrives in time to save Peter from Sarah, helping him lock her back in the basement pit, but Sarah tells Peter she'll haunt him for the rest of his life. A flash-forward shows Peter in a new house, afraid of the dark, seeing Sarah in the shadows and hearing her in the walls. The last shot shows Sarah rising behind Peter and saying, "We're family, Peter. I will always be with you."
Given Peter's imagination and nightmares from the rest of the movie, should this scene be taken literally, or is it just the mental scars from his experiences? Since Cobweb shows Sarah safely locked away in the basement in the previous scene, it's hard to imagine Miss Devine didn't call the police, in which case authorities would likely take Sarah somewhere safe.
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Peter was already a troubled boy at the beginning of Cobweb, so after killing his parents and being further terrorized by Sarah, it's fair to say Peter has a lot of trauma. So, the last shot (and Sarah's voiceover) represents the trauma Peter will carry for the rest of his life, not as a literal confirmation that Sarah is actually in the room behind Peter at the end of Cobweb.
The Real Meaning Of The Cobweb Ending
Sarah Becomes A Literal Monster For Peter
The ending of Cobweb shows how traumatic experiences and childhood trauma, in general, can damage a person's psyche forever. Miss Devine saves Peter, and she ensures that he can live to grow into an adult. However, as the final scene shows, that won't be an easy life by any means. Peter killed his parents, and while Sarah is who pushed him to do it, he has to live with that forever. Yes, his parents were abusive, but it is still something he will always live with.
The final scene with Sarah "haunting" him will terrorize Peter as he grows up, and it will likely never end. The movie sees Sarah as a real monster locked in the walls and a troubled child turned into a monster by uncaring parents. None of this is Peter's fault, but he is now the one who will have to suffer. Even if Miss Devine gets Sarah the help she needs, Peter will always grow up fearful. Whether Sarah is a monster or not in Cobweb, in the end, she becomes a literal monster in Peter's mind.
How The Cobweb Ending Was Received
The Audience Liked It Better Than Critics
While the movie has much fewer reviews than similar horror films, it seems the audience liked it slightly better than the critics, as it has a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for the Popcornmeter and only a 59% rating from critics. However, even the audience members who enjoyed the film counted off for the ending. One reviewer wrote, "The movie was pretty good with a predictable twist towards the end, lots of jump-scares throughout the movie to keep you on your toes. Definitely don’t watch before bed."
As for the critics, they were not as enamored by the story or its ending. Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com gave Cobweb a poor review, writing, "It’s a subtle creeper, but that’s about it, all ambiance and little substance—like a pot of water that never seems to boil. Watch as we might, something’s just not right, and the ingredients never come together into a fulfilling meal." However, Variety's Dennis Harvey gave it a little more positive review while still disappointed in the ending, writing:
"Cobweb” lives in the moment, not in reflection after the credits have rolled. And as such, it is pretty tense ... It’s unfortunate that the film ends with a particularly desultory non-ending — the kind that both teases a sequel and leaves you indifferent to seeing it. But by then “Cobweb” has fulfilled its obligations with just enough artistry and energy to leave audiences feeling sated."
In one Reddit thread, one viewer wanted to know what others thought about the ending. Redditor UnlikelyPlan4700 didn't like it, writing, "I think the very ending was also a little rushed or tacked on? Could have been less sudden, could have been more ambiguous . I don’t know for sure, but it didn’t work for me." From the sound of it, most people who liked Cobweb still weren't happy about how the film ended.
Cobweb is a 2023 horror-thriller film that focuses on a child named Peter who deals with a constant tapping at his bedroom wall - a sound his parents believe is all in his head. But Peter's instincts lead him to investigate the sound and discover a terrifying secret hidden from him by his parents.
Director Samuel Bodin
Release Date July 21, 2023
Distributor(s) Lionsgate
Runtime 88 Minutes
English (US) ·