Netflix movies: Things Heard & Seen ending explained

Things Heard & Seen, a new Netflix movie starring Amanda Seyfried and James Norton, is now streaming on Netflix. For a “horror thriller,” though, it doesn’t deliver many thrills. Let’s break down the final scenes!

Whether you want a breakdown of the finale because you were also left scratching your head or simply don’t want to watch the two-hour-long movie, we’ve got your back! Needless to say, spoilers are ahead!

Things Heard & Seen is based on the novel “All Things Cease to Appear” by Elizabeth Brundage. The story follows a young couple, Catherine and George (Seyfried and Norton, respectively), who move due to George’s new job.

Catherine never wanted to move, but she is willing to sacrifice her wants for her husband’s career. Wrong choice. It doesn’t take long at all for audiences (and, soon enough, Catherine) to learn that George hides a dark side.

George isn’t the only trouble, but their new home hides secrets as well. However, Things Heard &  Seen unveils that the living world is what we should truly fear.

Things Heard & Seen offers interesting theories and new ideas about the spirit world, which horror fans will appreciate. But if it’s chills and thrills you are looking for, you may not find them here. The Netflix movie is a slow burn and many scenes feel unnecessary. And with a 2-hour long runtime, it’s definitely not for everyone.

Again, if you’ve watched it and simply want a breakdown or are here for spoilers, read on!

How does Things Heard & Seen end?

George is willing to do anything to get what he wants, including murder. So when he realizes that, not only is his wife leaving him, but Catherine knows he is the one who killed Floyd (F. Murray Abraham) and caused Justine’s (Rhea Seehorn) accident, he decides to murder his wife.

This is when we see one of the spirits who roams the house, Ella, a woman who was also killed by her husband. She means Catherine no harm, never did. However, she is not able to help Catherine.

Ella explains that “another’s free will is his alone,” so while she can’t save Catherine’s life, Ella can help Catherine not suffer any pain when her time comes. Ella promises to be there for Catherine at the time of her passing.

We assume Ella will help Catherine transition to the next life, as Floyd earlier shared spirits do.

George believes he managed to get away with murder, three times, but he soon learns that Justine survived the car accident. And, she remembers everything.

Knowing his time is up, George tries to escape, but it all catches up to him just as the cover of the book foreshadowed. In his final moments, both Ella and Catherine are heard chanting that George is “damned.”

What did you think about the ending? Were you confused by the purpose of the spirits? Are you disappointed George killed Catherine?