Does the Delgado Family Survive in “The Last House”? Inside the Thriller’s Dramatic Ending

Greta Lee and Wagner Moura star in the film as Ann and Jason Delgado, a Seattle couple trapped inside their home with their two children

NEED TO KNOW

• The Last House follows a family in Seattle who are trapped inside their home by terrifying sea creatures
• Greta Lee stars in the film opposite Wagner Moura
• The movie premiered on Aug. 7 on Netflix

The Last House is a sci-fi thriller for the ages reminiscent of COVID-19 era lockdowns, albeit with a monstrous twist.

The film, which premiered on Netflix on Aug. 7, begins when the world’s (human) inhabitants wake up to find themselves sealed inside their homes by a slew of terrifying aquatic creatures. Centered on the Delgado family, The Last House follows frustrated yet resourceful dad Jason (Wagner Moura), his creatively inclined wife, Ann (Greta Lee), and the couple’s two children, Ruth and Graham.

Ruth and Graham grow up over the course of the movie and are thus played by two different sets of actors: Riley Chung and Noah Alexander Sosnowski and, later on, Emma Ho and Gabriel Barbosa.

The Delgado family initially struggle to adjust to their new life in captivity and eventually figure out how to grow vegetables inside and trap animals through a crack in the chimney. As the weeks turn into years, however, their mental states decay, as does their house.

Eventually, the foursome realize that the only way to survive is to break out of their home before the creatures can break in.

So, how does The Last House end? Here’s everything to know about the movie’s dramatic final scenes and what happens to the Delgado family.

How does The Last House end?

Five years after everyone first became trapped inside, one of the aquatic creatures breaks into the Delgado family’s home. Though they survive, the creature leaves salt water all throughout their house, contaminating their drinking water and destroying the soil they were using to grow crops.

As the house continues to fill with water, the family soon realize that surviving inside has become too challenging and that the only way out of their situation is to escape. Jason then comes up with an elaborate plan to capture one of the creatures using a harpoon.

“We are going to trap [the creatures],” Jason tells his family. “Graham, you’ll track the creature. Ruth, you cast the line. Ann, you lure it to me and I’ll set the hook.”

Jason is successful, however he is ultimately persuaded by his daughter, Ruth, to let the creature go. When he do so, the creature opens the door and lets the family leave. They find a neighbor’s boat and rename it “Cassidy” after their dog, who died during the lockdown.

What happens to the Delgado family’s house?

After the family are released from their home, the structure finally gives way and collapses, leaving a gaping hole that the creatures jump into.

“Day 1” subsequently appears on the screen, signaling a new chapter for the family.

Why do the sea creatures let the Delgado family live?

Early on in The Last House, Ruth says that she thinks one of the monsters may actually be “nice.” Her family doesn’t believe her, but Ruth believes the creature is simply misunderstood.

Ruth’s conviction ultimately proves life-saving when she convinces her dad to release the creature that he catches with his harpoon. As it turns out, the creature is the same one that Ruth identified as “nice” earlier on in the film.

When the Delgado family escapes their house, they are surrounded by other, far more hostile creatures. However, the “nice” one motions for the others to let the family go.

“In the end, an act of mercy set us free. We showed it to them and they showed it to us,” Ruth says. “We never saw them again, but we think they’re still out there. After all, it’s their home too.”

Where does the Delgado family go after their escape?

After the Delgado family escapes their crumbling home, they run onto the top of a van and are able to take a look at their surroundings for the first time in more than half a decade.

“For the first time in years, my family felt hope,” Ruth says. “My parents, my brother and I set off in search of a new home. For many years, we felt like were alone. After the rain, we knew we didn’t have to be.”

The Delgado family heads out to sea on their neighbor’s boat to find a new house. They also send out a radio message in case there are any other survivors. Sure enough, someone responds with a simple “Hello.” The film ends with the implication that the family are not alone after all, and will be able to make contact with other human beings.