I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

In the haunting film I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, the ending leaves viewers with a sense of ambiguity and unresolved mystery. Throughout the story, Lily, the nurse, is haunted by the presence of a ghost believed to be Polly, a character from the house’s haunted past. Polly was supposedly a real woman who lived in the house in 1813 and was murdered by her husband, her body sealed in the walls, according to the legend. As the story unfolds, Lily begins to hallucinate and see signs of Polly’s presence—such as mold growing where Polly was buried—and Iris, the novelist she cares for, repeatedly calls Lily “Polly,” blurring the line between reality and hallucination.

In the movie’s final moments, Polly’s ghost whispers something inaudible into Iris’s ear, further deepening the mystery. Lily, overwhelmed by these supernatural encounters, eventually dies of a heart attack after witnessing what she believes is Polly in her full ghostly form. Iris also dies soon after, leaving the house behind. The narrative suggests that Lily may become part of the house’s spectral history—perhaps she is now a ghost herself, forever lingering there. The film’s ambiguity invites viewers to interpret what was real—whether Polly was a genuine ghost, a manifestation of Iris’s dementia, or a figment of Lily’s imagination—and whether the house itself is cursed to trap spirits or memories from the past. Ultimately, the ending emphasizes that much remains unresolved, making the story more about atmosphere and mood than concrete answers. The eerie atmosphere and open-ended conclusion leave audiences pondering the true nature of the hauntings and the film’s characters, making it a haunting meditation on memory, death, and the unknowable past.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:59