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Netflix’s ‘Aftermath‘ hides true horror in the guise of a seemingly supernatural entity. Directed by Peter Winther, the film follows a couple who moves into a house with a bloody past. Soon, the couple is haunted by an inexplicable sinister force that puts more rift in their already problematic marriage. But what is the true story behind that seemingly supernatural entity? Here we break down the events of the film and answer all your biggest questions. Warning: ‘Aftermath’ spoilers ahead.
‘Aftermath’ Synopsis and Ending Explained
‘Aftermath‘ begins with a murder and suicide incident in a house. A woman is shot dead by her husband, who also shoots himself after. College drop-out Kevin Dadich and his colleagues from the cleaning agency went to the house the next day to clean. Kevin is married to Natalie, an aspiring fashion designer looking for potential investors for her Boutique.
However, aside from financial issues, their marriage is also suffering from another problem. Natalie cheated on Kevin with her friend, Nick Scott. The two had a hard time coping with the extra-marital affair, and they sought help from a counselor to save their marriage. The counselor suggests that a change in environment could give them a fresh new start.
Kevin then proposes to Natalie to buy the house at 992 Hallow Park Way–the homicide house Kevin and his crew cleaned at the beginning. Natalie was hesitant at first, but Kevin manages to convince her. They get a good bargain because people usually stay away from crime scene residences. Kevin, Natalie, and their dog Odi moved into the house. Soon, the couple gets haunted by an inexplicable sinister force that thrives in the house. And after a hair-raising encounter at the wardrobe, Natalie’s sister Dani goes missing.
Instead of getting a new start, Kevin and Natalie’s relationship becomes even rockier. Kevin’s car was set on fire. Malicious posts have been circulating. Someone tries to break into the house, and Natalie is constantly anxious for her safety. Worse, Kevin does not believe Natalie, and their rift goes even wider when Nick sends Natalie flowers. Natalie’s paranoia becomes worse when she finds out that Nick did not send the flowers! Soon, it becomes clear that “something”, or someone is trying to keep Natalie and Kevin apart.
What Happened In The House at Hallow Park Way?
In search of answers, Natalie goes to Claudia (from whom they bought the house) to investigate. Claudia reveals that the property belonged to her late brother Jay and his wife Erin. They are the couple who were found dead at the beginning of the film.
Jay cheated on Erin, and Erin tried to get even by also starting an affair. Unfortunately, nobody knew who the secret lover is. Jay and Erin still tried to fix their marriage and decided to get a fresh new start by building the house. Erin designed the house from the ground up while Jay paid for the expenses.
However, Claudia thinks that the house is more than a diversion. She deduced that Erin was up to something sinister. Claudia cannot pinpoint what happened in the house, but she insists that Jay is not the type of person who could commit murder and suicide. Plenty of details don’t add up. However, the cops are not interested to dig deeper for the truth. They just reported that Erin was cheating on Jay, and in the heat of a confrontation, Jay killed his wife, then shot himself.
Who Is The Mysterious Man Haunting Natalie And Kevin?
On her way out of the house, Natalie is confronted by Robert. Robert seems to threaten Natalie with his harassing words. The couple’s dog Odi suddenly dies after getting poisoned. Later, Kevin falls sick with the same substance too. Natalie finds out through a doctor that the poison is called Nerium, from a flower that grows commonly in gardens. Natalie gets attacked by a guy named Travis Murray, and police have evidence that Claudia’s husband, Robert Sorrentino is behind the malicious posts that portray Natalie as a lonely wife with BDSM fetishes.
The police deduced that Robert wanted to scare the new couple so they would forfeit their purchase and Robert could use the house to pay his accumulated debt. The police arrested Robert, but this is not the end of the hauntings. Soon, Natalie comes face to face with the true sinister force that has been orchestrating the downfall of her marriage— and he is not a ghost.
Who Is Otto?
Much like the 2016 film ‘The Boy,’ ‘Aftermath’ seemed like a supernatural horror movie until the big reveal. Natalie is bothered by a rail-thin pale man crawling in the house. The couple tried to repair the CCTV system in the house to capture the man’s presence but didn’t get any footage of him. Later, Natalie decides to use a camcorder to record what happens in her bedroom. In one of the clips, she found the creepy man hiding under her bed.
The mysterious entity turned out to be Otto, the unknown lover of the previous owner Erin. Erin designed the house and kept a hidden place for him. Otto sacrificed his identity for love. When Erin still chose her husband over him, Otto lost his mind. It was Otto who killed the couple! The years of isolation and the heartbreak likely caused Otto’s neurotic state. When Otto saw Natalie, he fells in love with her too. He decides to put a strain on Natalie and Kevin’s marriage to break them apart. He poisoned their dog and was slowly killing Kevin, too. He wanted to get rid of Kevin so that he could be with Natalie in the house.
Otto kidnaps Natalie and chains her in a hidden storeroom filled with CCTV cameras and mechanical triggers.
Is Natalie Alive?
Natalie tries to trick Otto with beguiling words. But when Kevin comes home, Natalie must act quickly to save her husband. Natalie tells Otto to kill Kevin so that she and Otto can be together. Otto agrees and went out to kill Kevin. When Otto was gone, Natalie managed to free herself from the shackles. Otto attacks Kevin, but Natalie diverts his attention. Otto chases after Natalie downstairs, but Kevin creeps up behind and tackles Otto. Natalie ended the fight by stabbing Otto in the neck with a pair of scissors.
Where Is Natalie’s Sister, Dani?
Dani was among the first people to suffer the dire consequences of the murder house at Hallow Park Way. Dani was feeding Natalie’s dog Odi when she noticed that the dog is distracted by something. She finds the record playing by itself. Out of curiosity, she visits the wardrobe and was suddenly dragged into the darkness by a seemingly supernatural force.
After the incident, Dani goes missing. Kevin later finds her body after he comes home, while Otto chains Natalie in the secret room. Kevin looks for Natalie all over the house. He saw someone on the bed. Thinking it was Natalie, Kevin gets under the covers but was shocked to find that it was–in fact– Dani’s corpse! Dani has been dead for a while. Otto most likely killed her after she discovers his presence in the wardrobe.
What Happens To Natalie and Kevin After Otto’s Attack?
The movie’s epilogue takes a one-month time jump and sees Natalie and Kevin with a new dog. No matter how ironic it seems, the murder house managed to bring the two closer and gave them a fresh start. Although, not in a way they expected.
After the frightening attack, the couple has become closer, and they have slowly resolved the issues surrounding their marriage. Natalie’s business is also becoming more stable, allowing them to move to a new house. They left the murder house with middle fingers raised. Otto seemingly died after getting stabbed by Natalie. However, the final shot of the film sees the door of the secret room closing by itself. Whoever and whatever is the reason behind it, we are glad that Natalie and Kevin are no longer there.
