Rohan Jain
Netflix’s ‘Hellhole‘ is a Polish film, originally titled, ‘Ostatnia Wieczerza,’ which translates to ‘The Last Supper.’ This horror film, directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski, is set in 1987 and revolves around an undercover cop named Marek (Piotr Żurawski). He impersonates a monk to enter a monastery and investigate the disappearance of women in the area. After looking around the monastery, Marek discovers a shocking truth about the place, the activities occurring within, and himself. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Hellhole Plot Synopsis
The film begins with a priest trying to kill a baby with an odd mark on the left side of his chest. However, two officers from the militia shoot the man and prevent the killing. This occurs when there’s an eclipse, and the sun appears red. 30 years later, the story resumes as we see Marek entering the monastery, claiming to be a monk who knows exorcism. He meets with Prior Andrzej (Olaf Lubaszenko), who walks him to his room and mentions how the monastery is a sanatorium for possessed people. Later, it becomes clear that Marek is here to search for the missing women.
He partakes in regular activities of the monastery, which include an exorcism, the morning prayer, and lunch. However, everything seems a little odd to him. Soon, he discovers that the exorcism is staged using several theatrical techniques. He also crosses paths with Piotr, the Sub-Prior or deputy to Andrzej, who tells him that everything is a farce and the girls are drugged, killed, and buried in the graveyard present within the monastery’s grounds. Another odd thing that happens is Marek notices a couple of people unwilling to eat their lunch, and at one point, he finds a tooth in his mouth.
As the movie unfolds, Marek finds the graves empty, confirming his suspicion. However, the Prior catches him and later force-feeds him four plates of the meal he eats. After this, Marek somehow escapes and stumbles upon the dead bodies of women whose body parts are cut. Almost instantly, he realizes he has been eating human flesh and organs. At this point, Piotr shows him a book that explains how he is The Chosen One because he has the same mark as the baby, revealing the two are the same person. Piotr tells The Chosen One is meant to begin a New World Order. He then proceeds to help him run away, but as it turns out, he is on the Prior’s side.
In the end, the monks who turn out to be worshippers of Satan perform the ritual on Marek, The Chosen One, but nothing happens. Everyone is disappointed as the Prior doesn’t know what to do next, and the group disperses. Later, the Sub-Prior kills the Prior and the next day informs everyone while pretending he died of natural causes. He becomes the Prior, after which, as the group offers its prayers to Andrzej, a creature comes out, kills Piotr, and turns everyone upside down. At this moment, the sky opens up, and the film ends.
Hellhole Ending: What Happens to Marek?
Marek likely turns into the Devil or Satan, as prophecized by the book Piotr shows him. Several subtle moments foreshadow what is about to happen with Marek. The first instance is at the beginning of the film. We see a priest enter the church carrying a baby with an odd mark on his chest. The man offers his prayers and asks God to destroy the “evil seed.” He then takes out a dagger, but before killing the baby, two officers from the militia shoot him. The incident occurs at the time of an eclipse.
The second instance is when Marek, the undercover cop, enters the room and changes into his robe. When he removes his shirt, there’s a mark on his chest, just like the baby’s mark. The third significant hint is the conversation between Marek and the Prior right before the exorcism occurs. The Prior explains why the time of exorcism is essential. It is revealed that 6 hours had passed between Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and Peter’s third denial. When Peter, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus, denied him, Satan thought he had won, but as we know, he didn’t. The time at this point was 6 AM, and the Prior concludes how Satan is at his weakest at 6 AM.
The next thing that is a clue toward Marek’s future is his meals. Right from the beginning, he doesn’t like how his food looks. The second time he eats it, he pukes and finds a human tooth stuck in his mouth, out of which a fly appears. The third time he forces himself to eat the food despite not wanting to do so. This is because Piotr warns Marek that the Prior always has his eyes on him. In fact, even Piotr had tried to escape but was punished for the same. Marek confesses that he is with the militia investigating the disappearance of women in the area. This is when Piotr mentions how the exorcised women are not possessed but drugged. Later, they are killed and buried.
With this information, Marek continues his search and learns that the graves are empty. However, this time, the Prior catches him. We later see Marek tied to his bed, and Andrzej feeds him four plates of the same meal. Following this, Marek manages to escape and finds a room where he sees the bodies of several deceased women hanging. Different parts of their bodies are cut, and Marek realizes he’s been eating human flesh.
The third instance is Piotr’s revelation of a book at least 800 years old. The book carries a prophecy, according to which a child born at the time of the eclipse is The Chosen One, who has to be slain with a dagger and a prayer. If not, The Chosen One will devour seven sinners and drink the blood of an innocent. Once he does so, he will become a demon, the world will come to an end, and a new order will begin. Piotr then tells Marek that he can still help him escape, but unfortunately, the Sub-Prior betrays the undercover cop. All these moments foreshadow Marek’s fate in the movie.
In the climax, The Prior and the other monks in the monastery are in red robes instead of their brown ones. Andrzej explains how Marek is manipulated into taking the case of the missing girls and brought to the monastery to finish the ritual of The Chosen One. He goes on to reveal that they are the brotherhood who have been waiting 800 years for The Chosen One. Pointing to a well, the Prior says it is hell’s gateway. After the ritual is complete, the Devil will come out from there and enter Marek’s body.
So far, Marek has “devoured” the seven sinners in the seven meals/portions he has eaten. The Prior then brings an “innocent” girl before everyone. A monk slices her throat, and everyone, including Marek, drinks her blood. Following this, The Prior summons the Devil, but nothing happens. So, Piotr stabs Marek and has him thrown into the well while others from the brotherhood disperse into their rooms. Later that night, when the Prior is drunk, he tells Piotr how he is supposed to be the Devil’s Apostle.
This dialogue can be connected with the earlier conversation and the prophecy about The Chosen One. It indicates that Marek is supposed to be the Devil’s incarnation. However, things don’t go as planned, and Piotr decides to kill the Prior while he is intoxicated. The next day, he informs the brotherhood of Andrzej’s demise and pretends that it could be due to his old age. One of the brothers, apparently a senior clergy member, asks Piotr to take over the late man’s duties.
In the final scene, when Piotr and the brothers are offering their prayers to the former Prior, Marek wakes up, coughs frantically, and sees that his stab wound has disappeared. Suddenly his body starts contorting, and his skin obliterates from the body’s surface. Piotr, who is the new Prior, turns into a swarm of flies that go into the well. We then see a demon come out of the well and into the church. Marek is the demon or the Devil or Satan.
We conclude that Marek is the Devil reincarnated based on three simple instances. Peter was an apostle who denied Jesus. The Prior mentions how he and the brotherhood could act as the new Apostles to the Devil and help him run the new world. Finally, the Prior also confesses to Piotr that he is supposed to be the Devil’s Apostle. These instances show that Marek turns into the Devil or Satan.
Why Does the Sky Open Up?
According to the prophecy in the book, once The Chosen One devours the seven sinners and drinks an innocent’s blood, the world will come to an end. So, when the Devil appears from the well, he freezes all the monks and turns them and other people within the monstery upside down, in the form of an upside-down cross. He then turns toward the large crucifix, makes Jesus’ head turn towards him, spreads his arms, and screams. The walls of the monastery crack, the sky shatters open, and blackish-grey elements start appearing in the world.
The sky shatters because of the prophecy which says the world will end. In the climax, even the Prior mentions that a New World Order will begin. These two things could mean that the new world will be under the Devil’s rule and will essentially be in the form of hell. This is pretty much why the film is titled ‘Hellhole.’ It refers to the monastery, the well, which acts as the gateway to hell, and the shattered sky through which the blackish-grey elements from hell appear in the human world.
Why Does Piotr Kill the Prior?
After the brotherhood completes the ritual, nothing happens immediately. This leaves the Prior and his deputy, Piotr, disappointed. Piotr is unhappy with how the Prior doesn’t know what to do next. We immediately see him take control even in the Prior’s presence. He asks the brotherhood to disperse, convinces them they are all in this together, stabs Marek, and has him thrown into the well.
Later, after the Prior has drowned his disappointment and sorrow in alcohol and is intoxicated, Piotr uses a pillow to suffocate Andrzej and kill him. He does so because he wants to become the new Prior and take things under his control. This way, he’ll lead the brotherhood and will not have to face disappointment again.
Read More: Is Netflix’s Hellhole Based on a True Story?
