Eli Ending Explained (Spoilers)

A boy receiving treatment for his auto-immune disorder discovers that the house he's living in isn't as safe as he thought.

Eli: Spoilers Below

From the producer of Gerald's Game and The Haunting of Hill House comes Eli, a horror film about a child with an auto-immune disorder who starts to distrust the medical professionals trying to help him.

In Eli, a young boy is taken to a "clean house" run by Dr. Horne, only to realize something is very wrong. Throughout the film, Eli experiences what appears to be a typical ghost story. However, the ending features a demonic twist that the audience did not expect.

Was Eli sick?

Eli is a very ill young man who is allergic to almost everything and cannot go outside without a hazardous materials suit. Dr. Horne tells Eli's parents that Eli has a genetic mutation, but Horne has developed a cure. In reality, Eli was never sick. It is later revealed that Eli's actual father is the devil, and that is why his parents are desperately trying to "fix" his "gene mutation."

Eli's parents feared he might turn out evil like his true father, so they lied to him and isolated him from the world. However, Eli eventually discovers that Dr. Horne is a nun. At this point, it becomes clear that the problem may not be medical at all.

How is Eli's biological father the devil?

The film does not explain in great detail how Eli was conceived. However, Eli's mother, Rose, does suggest that she and her husband had difficulty conceiving. Rose says she "prayed" to bear a child but praying to God didn't work. So, she prayed to the devil instead. It could be some supernatural IVF or a fling with Satan. The one clue we're offered in the movie is when Haley mentions that the devil "gets around."

What was up with the dragonflies?

If you pay attention, there are several moments in the film where dragonflies guide Eli, especially when he discovers the Nun's basement. According to European folklore, a dragonfly is an animal associated with witches and has been sent to Earth by the devil to cause mayhem and madness.

The dragonfly in the film could be symbolic of Eli's father, who is trying to help him grow and change. In some cultures, the dragonfly is known as the Devil's Needle, allowing Eli to understand the mansion and its secrets.

Is Eli genuinely evil?

The answer isn't simple. Eli's father is Satan, but for most of the film, he's just a kid who trusts that his parents have good intentions. Only at the end of the film does it become clear that Dr. Horne plans to kill him, and we see his "evil" side emerge. I'd be angry, too, if I were lied to, restrained, plotted against, and experimented on.

In the end, Eli kills Dr. Horne and the medical assistants. He also burns down the whole house. You could say that's pretty bad. You could also call it self-defense.

Who or what is Haley, and what does she have to do with Eli?

Haley's presence is at first perplexing. Is she Eli's neighbor? Is she a ghost herself? Eventually, we discover that Haley is Eli's half-sister and has been urging him to escape the whole time - though she can't help him physically.

Eli and Haley are half-siblings who share the devil as their father. After Eli escapes from the house, he and Haley get Rose to drive them off the property, though it's unknown what their destination is.

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