No One Gets Out Alive ending explained: An in-depth look into THAT monster

1428 Elm is looking into the No One Gets Out Alive ending and an in-depth look at the monster, complete with new insight from director Santiago Menghini.

No One Gets Out Alive was one of the first new offerings released in this year’s Netflix and Chills line-up for Halloween. The British horror film is based on the 2014 novel of the same name written by Adam Nevill. You can watch the movie or add it to your watchlist right HERE.

Released on September 29, 2021, there is a good chance you’ve already seen the movie, but if you haven’t, you should turn back now as the following article contains significant spoilers for the ending of No One Gets Out Alive.

Whether you’ve already seen it or not, Menghini’s film makes for ideal Halloween viewing and would be the perfect flick to add to any marathons you have planned for the upcoming weekend!

No One Gets Out Alive ending explained

The ending can be a little confusing if you aren’t paying full attention, but in short, what happens is that Ambar (Cristina Rodlo) is taken to the basement by Red (Marc Menchaca) and his sick brother Becker (David Figlioli ), along with a few of the other girls staying in the boarding house. We find out that the brothers have been ritually sacrificing women to an ancient creature in exchange for improving Becker’s overall health.

However, their plan goes awry when they try to sacrifice Ambar. The monster seems to kill people by slinking inside their heads through mental wavelengths and killing them in the guise of a loved one. Well, here’s where we find out a twist regarding Ambar’s past. She lied about her mother earlier in the movie. In reality, Ambar suffocated her mom in the hospital. When this plays out in the memory, the creature recoils.

From there, Ambar retrieves an ancient sword from the chamber and sets her sights on the brothers. Ambar manages to murder both of them, although she sustains a nasty cracked ankle in the skirmish. She then offers Red to the monster as a sacrifice, resulting in the creature healing Ambar’s ankle, seemingly meaning that Ambar has now accepted a blessing from the being and might be in its good graces.

After that, we don’t know what happens to Ambar, but the ending hints that she could now take Becker and Red’s place running the boarding house. I assume she would use her new abilities to get rid of men like the brothers and help other undocumented immigrants like herself.

No One Gets Out Alive ending: About that monster…

No One Gets Out Alive is a tense and intriguing horror story, but the final act sets it apart. The creature’s design is exceptional and extremely disturbing. I wish we could have gotten more backstory on the being, but I also think part of the film’s allure leaves audiences with plenty to consider once the credits roll.

That said, 1428 Elm received some fascinating quotes from the film’s director about his vision for the monster and a few tidbits that you might not have noticed on your first watch-through. After reading what Menghini had to say, you’ll definitely want to do that rewatch!

Did you realize the entity had been communicating with Ambar throughout the entire film?  

"Santiago Menghini: The monster tries to use the memories of her mother to subdue Ambar before killing her – but Ambar is not like other victims. She shows just what she’s willing to sacrifice to live. Recognizing this strength, the entity lets her go."

No One Gets Out Alive ending: Sebastian Menghini on Ambar’s role in Red’s sacrifice:

"Santiago Menghini: Ambar has taken the role of priestess in the ceremonial ritual. By doing this she’s granted its blessings as mentioned by Arthur in his audio recordings."

Sebastian Menghini on the symbolism and imagery present throughout No One Gets Out Alive

"Santiago Menghini: The moths are Rothschildia orizaba from the family Saturniidae, a Lepidoptera associated with our goddess. In the film they also represent the trapped souls and previous victims consumed by the entity.The imagery of hands plays a subtle but important role in the film. I wanted to reflect on the sense of touch and intimacy associated with hands. Much of the film has visuals of people being caressed and groomed. This “grooming” is key to how the entity operates – it creates a closeness and bond with its victims. It doesn’t just want to eat its victims, it wants to own them, possess them, keep them forever…"

I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I’ll ever look at moths the same way again.