The Devil All the Time ending explained: What happened to Arvin?

The Devil All the Time gives us a harrowing tale, but how did it end?

The Devil All the Time is now available to stream on Netflix, but let’s break down how it all ended.

Admittedly, the movie itself is pretty predictable and that’s without the need of the book. It’s dark and depressing, but it’s also an important look at seedy people and those who will try to do good. The cast certainly makes up for the darkness to the story, making it clear that Tom Holland is a young actor to look out for.

What happened at the end of The Devil All the Time? It’s time to breakdown those final scenes.

Arvin Russell got his revenge

After finding out that his step-sister, Lenore, had been raped by the new pastor and killed herself because of it, Arvin went out to get his revenge. It didn’t take too long to get that revenge, killing Robert Pattinson’s Reverend Preston Teagardin with the German gun that his father had brought home from the war.

While hitchhiking, he was picked up by Carl and Sandy, who happened to kill Lenore’s father (who had been the one to kill her mother thinking he could raise people from the dead). Arvin didn’t know the full truth, but he did know that Carl and Sandy were going to kill him.

He killed the two of them, instead. That led to Sheriff Bodecker onto him, the sheriff who had picked him up the night his father killed himself. Arvin knew he was in trouble and knew that Bodecker wouldn’t listen to the truth. So, Arvin killed the sherif and left the evidence that Sandy and Carl killed a bunch of men.

Arvin wanted to bury his dog

There was only one place Arvin needed to go. He went back to his hold house to the cross his father had made. Finding his dog’s skeleton, he finally laid the dog to rest with the gun that killed so many people.

He hitched a ride, but had no destination in mind. He was happy to go wherever the driver was going.

And that’s where we end it. Arvin is left wondering what’s in store for him next. Would it be enlisting and heading off to Vietnam? It certainly seems likely, but we never get the answer.

We’re left with plenty of questions about what would happen in the end. Would Arvin ever be caught for the murders? How would his grandmother and uncle react learning that Arvin had left, likely killing the pastor? What would the police do upon finding Bodecker? This is one of those stories without a clear cut ending.

What did you think of The Devil All the Time? Share your thoughts in the comments below.