Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Disco Inferno’ is a horror short film directed by Matthew Castellanos, starring Soni Bringas, Stephen Ruffin, and Helene Udy in the main roles. It tells a bone-chilling story set in the disco era of the early 70s as Mel, a young dancer, finds herself battling with a supernatural entity to save her unborn baby. However, when Mel learns of the shocking connection between herself and the ghost, things take a turn for the worse. Given the short and suspense-filled narrative, viewers must have plenty of questions regarding the ending, especially about Mel and her baby’s fate. In that case, here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Disco Inferno.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Disco Inferno Plot Synopsis
‘Disco Inferno’ opens in 1955 at a church where Sister Lynn expresses her remorse to God in the confession booth. Sister Lynn is better about being childless and reveals she has kidnapped a baby after killing its mother. As Sister Lynn rants about the unfair nature of being childless, she hangs herself in the church and dies. The baby is left in the care of the church’s priest. Years later, in 1983, the church turned into Inferno Disco, which is holding the final of a dance competition. Mel and Brandon are a couple in the final round and practice their performance before the finals later in the evening. However, Brandon is nervous about the performance, and Mel encourages him.
Mel sees a strange figure watching her from a distance and retreats to the washroom, where she experiences pregnancy symptoms. She confides about her pregnancy in her friend, Memo. Soon, Mel feels drawn to a strange force and explores the disco. She is inadvertently led to the attic, where she discovers the abandoned confession chamber from earlier. Mel finds herself trapped in the confession chamber and encounters the sinister ghost of Sister Lynn. Mel struggles to free herself from the confession chamber as Sister Lynn prepares to kill her baby. Sister Lynn also reveals her shared connection to Mel as the latter is helpless. On the other hand, Brandon becomes concerned about Mel and searches for her in the disco.
Disco Inferno Ending: Why Does Sister Lynn Want to Kill Mel’s Baby?
During the short film’s later half, it is revealed that Mel was the baby we saw at the start. Mel’s mother was killed by Sister Lynn when she was a baby, leading to her being orphaned. Years later, Mel is pregnant and faces the same fate befalling her unborn child. As Mel is trapped in the confession chamber, Sister Lynn’s ghost feats upon the opportunity to claim her baby. While the film does not explicitly state the motivation behind Sister Lynn’s obsession with babies, it evidently has something to do with her own childless past. In catholicism, a vow of chastity is necessary to become a nun, meaning the nuns cannot bear children.
In the opening scene, it is revealed that Sister Lynn became disgruntled with the rules that prevent her from having children. As a result, she resorts to claiming children from other mothers to cope with the psychological implications of her circumstances. It is also possible that Sister Lynn particularly targets children born out of wedlock. Mel’s orphan background supports the theory, as her father is not known to be in the picture following her mother’s death, and she is left in a church. Similarly, the short film hints that Mel and Brandon aren’t married, and Mel’s pregnancy is unexpected. Irrespective of the nuances, Sister Lynn’s sinister motives stem from her own inability to bear children because of her bow of chastity or biological complications.
Is Mel Possessed?
Toward the short film’s end, Mel struggles to free herself from Sister Lynn’s captivity as the evil spirit inches closer to killing her unborn child. However, Brandon arrives in the nick of time and saves Mel. He finds Mel in the confession chamber, screaming for help, and breaks in. With Brandon’s arrival, the ghost of Sister Lynn disappears. Mel is happily reunited with Brandon and breaks the news of her pregnancy to her partner. After learning about Mel’s pregnancy, Brandon is overjoyed and carries her out of the attic. However, as Mel and Brandon embrace, for a brief moment, a rasping reminiscent of Sister Lynn can be heard in the background.
Furthermore, Mel’s pupils turn completely dark, implying Sister Lynn’s ghost has possessed her. However, an unsuspecting Brandon carries Mel to safety as the credits roll, leaving Mel and Brandon’s fate unknown. Earlier in the movie, it is revealed that Mel is on the cusp of becoming a star, and her pregnancy may hinder her progress. In contrast, the ending implies she is static about having the baby with Brandon, and her experiences with Sister Lynn likely shaped Mel’s outlook. However, it is also possible that the childless Sister Lynn has possessed Mel to fulfill her long-lost dream of bearing a child. Irrespective of which interpretation the viewers choose to believe, the short film, particularly the ending, showcases contrasting perspectives on pregnancy through the supernatural conflict between Mel and Sister Lynn.
Read More: Disco Inferno: Netflix’s Horror Short’s Filming Location
