The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

Isla is the occultist who orchestrated the entire chain of events by making a deal with the demon. Rather than being merely possessed, she actively controlled David, Jessica, and Arne to cause chaos and fulfill her part of the bargain. In the ending, Ed and Lorraine destroy her altar, breaking the curse and preventing her from completing her deadly mission.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show the Warrens investigating cult activity and finding totems, hinting at human manipulation behind the possession cases.

• isla
• occultist
• cult
• demon deal
• conjuring 3 ending

Despite the demonic influence being exposed, Arne remains imprisoned because the legal system could not accept supernatural defense evidence at the time. The ending reveals the bittersweet reality that even after the Warrens prove the demonic involvement, Arne still serves his sentence for the murder he committed while possessed.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Arne's case went to trial, setting up the legal conflict that persists through the ending.

• arne johnson
• prison
• convicted
• murder trial
• bittersweet ending

Ed and Lorraine locate Isla's altar, the source of her demonic bargain, and destroy it. This breaks the curse she had placed on her victims, freeing David from her control and preventing her from completing the ritual that would claim their lives. Their intervention represents the culmination of their investigation into the cult connection.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, the Warrens follow clues linking the possessions to a cursed object and cult activity, building toward this confrontation.

• altar
• break curse
• destroy
• demonic ritual
• ed and lorraine

Jessica is revealed to have been one of Isla's victims who was successfully claimed by the demon. She took a witch's totem from college, which gave Isla control over her, ultimately driving her to kill her best friend and then herself. Her tragic fate serves as an example of how Isla's curse claimed lives before the Warrens intervened.

Foreshadowing: The investigation reveals Jessica's possession and subsequent actions, showing she was controlled before the main events of the film.

• jessica
• possession
• suicide
• witch totem
• victim

This film marks a major departure from earlier Conjuring films by shifting the primary villain from a supernatural entity to a human one. Instead of a demon directly possessing victims, the demon works through Isla, a human occultist who manipulates events from behind the scenes. This human villain controlling demonic influence is a new element in the series.

Foreshadowing: Unlike previous films where demons are seen directly, this film emphasizes the demon through tragic outcomes rather than direct appearance, signaling something different about the nature of the threat.

• human villain
• demon possession
• different from conjuring
• twist
• villain reveal

Yes, David is saved in the ending. As Isla's final victim, David was being controlled to fulfill her bargain, but when Ed and Lorraine destroy the altar and break the curse, David is freed from her control. This marks the successful rescue of the final victim the Warrens fought to protect.

Foreshadowing: David's possession and the threat to his soul drive the Warrens' investigation throughout the film.

• david glatzel
• saved
• rescued
• possessed
• curse broken

The ending reaffirms the Warrens' bond and their commitment to fighting evil, even after a devastating case. While they succeed in stopping Isla and saving David, the lingering consequence of Arne's imprisonment shows that not every case ends perfectly. The final shot hints at new supernatural challenges ahead, suggesting the Warrens will continue taking on other prominent cases from their storied history.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes the Warrens' resilience and their willingness to take on impossible cases throughout the story.

• ed warren
• lorraine warren
• future
• bond
• supernatural investigators

The witch's totem is a cursed object that Jessica took from college, which gave Isla direct control over her. When someone touches or takes the totem, they become vulnerable to Isla's demonic influence. This object serves as the key mechanism connecting the human villain to her victims, explaining how she could manipulate them without direct contact.

Foreshadowing: The investigation centers around cursed objects and totems that the Warrens discover throughout their probe into the cult.

• witch totem
• cursed object
• cult
• artifact
• possession mechanism

Isla meets a grim fate in the ending. With her altar destroyed and her curse broken, she is no longer able to complete her bargain with the demon or control her victims. The film implies she faces consequences for her actions, though the exact nature of her fate is left somewhat ambiguous, focusing more on the defeat of her scheme than her specific death.

Foreshadowing: Isla's manipulation is gradually uncovered through the Warrens' investigation, building to this confrontation.

• isla death
• fate
• occultist
• cult leader
• defeated