The end of Shudder’s 20202 paranormal horror movie Something for Jackson Leave some questions about the Walsh family, Jackson, and the devil’s involvement unanswered. With a family willing to do everything they can to bring back their beloved grandson, it initially begins as a classic case of spirit transference, but quickly turns into a terrifying tale of demonic entities and their hunt for a ship. However, unlike most demonic possession movies, Something for Jackson is driven by the desire to make contact with a deceased loved one.
in something for jackson, Elderly couple Audrey (Sheila McCarthy) and Henry (Julian Richings) are struggling to cope with the loss of their grandson Jackson, who was killed in a car accident that left his mother wheelchair-bound. Audrey and Henry want to perform a satanic ritual to try to bring Jackson back, using the fetus growing inside Shannon, a kidnapped pregnant woman, as a vessel. However, the Walsh home becomes overrun with ghosts when they don’t complete the ritual, which leads to what actually happens to Jackson, Shannon’s unborn baby, and the devil’s return to Earth.
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What actually happened to Jackson
Jackson’s fate remains ambiguous
When Shannon was first taken to the Walsh residence in Something for JacksonShe sees a small blonde toddler with a bloody hole in his head. It is said that he died in a car accident, but the real mystery is what happened to him after the pregnant woman ran away. As she makes her getaway, she looks in the upstairs window to see Jackson being pulled away by an unknown force. While he was initially excited to find a new mother and ship in the form of Shannon and the unborn baby, he now looks at her with fear and sadness in his eyes.
Audrey and Henry Walsh died in the process of trying to bring him back when Ian, a fellow member of their satanic cult, took the open gate as a way to bring the devil to earth. It is likely that Jackson was taken by the devil, because the arms that wrap him are completely white, similar to the creatures.
At the same time, it is quite likely that it was the spirit of his mother or the Walsh’s whisk him away to safety from the other demonic entities that roam the house. Very little is known about what actually happened to Jackson, but it is certain that he was not transferred into Shannon’s fetus. It is much more likely that he will remain a restless spirit instead of being reunited with the people who loved him the most.
How the Walsh family became a vessel for the devil
Henry’s loss made him the perfect candidate for Satan
Ian brought in the devil Something for JacksonBut the way he possessed Audrey and Henry is quite confusing. When the ritual is complete, Audrey’s back begins to contort, which alludes to the devil taking up residence in her body. As Jan explains, anyone can be a vessel for a spirit, no matter how old or young an individual is, they are still trapped. The room they’re keeping Shannon in is filled with possible people for the devil to possess, but Audrey is the weakest as a mother, making her the perfect candidate.
Except, she really isn’t the perfect candidate because she dies as a result of a fatal wound given to her by Ian. Which causes the devil to take over Henry’s body. As the old man twists and contorts, the devil rises from his flesh to come back to earth. It is quite a confusing five-minute scene, because it alludes that the devil was in Audrey but was transferred to Henry when their blood mixed together.
This is actually used by Something for Jackson As a way of differentiating between the two’s intentions behind conducting the ritual. While Audrey does it to bring Jackson back, Henry does it to calm Audrey down and show her how much he loves her. Henry became a vessel for the devil because he was left with nothing once she died, leaving his soul weakened and open for him to inhabit.
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Everything for Jackson’s end explained
What the demon Shannon sees actually means
As Shannon drives away from the Walsh house at the end of Something for JacksonShe slows down to see a strange human-demon hybrid cross the road. As it looks at her, before he enters the opposite side of the forest, she looks down at her pregnant stomach and holds it tightly. In doing so, it is clear that her unborn child is safe and sound from any restless spirit that may have found it as the perfect vessel. The figure that crosses the road is the devil that broke through Henry’s flesh. It no longer needs a host, as it has already been brought back to earth. Therefore, it does not have to hurt Shannon or her baby, it is likely that his evil will rain down in a much more cruel way in the future.
Director Justin G. Dick left the ending quite ambiguous, as he wanted the audience to interpret it in any way they wanted to, but there are some certainties that can be deduced from the final moments of Something for Jackson. Jackson doesn’t have a new ship to inhabit and doesn’t really need one now that his grandparents and mother are dead.
It is likely that everything that happens to the boy in the last moments of the movie was one of his family member’s intention to keep him safe from the vengeful spirits in the house. The Walsh’s became a tool for the devil because Audrey died and Henry’s will to live weakened. At the end of Something for JacksonShannon sees the devil as a strange marker of her and her unborn child’s newfound safety.
The real meaning of something for Jackson’s end
A classic tale of being careful what you wish for
Although there are many different themes in the reverse-exorcism movie, the core meaning behind Something for Jackson is one that runs through many films with cults and rituals – the common idiom “Be careful what you wish for“. While Audrey and Henry’s reasons for trying to turn Shannon into a vehicle for possession are relatable and driven by deep grief as much as a lust for power, Something for Jackson is another one of many movies about the dangers of seeking packs with demonic beings for personal gain.
Like many of these movies, the core meaning ultimately becomes the stupidity that is trying to cheat fate. This is an interesting twist on the thematic message, but you can still relate to the same sentiment. This does not detract from the quality Something for Jackson As a horror movie, as it is still an incredibly engaging watch, but when it comes to the layers of its meaning, it is not as deep as it first seems.
How the something for Jackson ending is received
The ending was considered a medium boring comment even among the most positive reviews
Something for Jackson was incredibly well received when it was released in 2020, and was considered a win for both Shodder and director Justin G. Dyck. The movie sits at 97% on Rotten tomatoesAlthough the audience score is notably less at 69% (an intriguingly rare inversion of the way many horror movies fall on the critic/audience opinion divide). Critics generally praised the film overall, with most reviews highlighting the cast’s performances alongside admiration for how Something for Jackson Twists many common demonic possession movie tropes.
However, when the end of Something for Jackson It is mentioned in reviews, it is rarely favored. The consensus among most seems to be that the ending was somewhat flat compared to the incredibly creepy and chilling tone of the rest of the movie. This is not to say that it is set right away, but the final act of the film does not quite live up to the beginning and middle of the story. Overall, this is not the worst thing, and it is clear that it does not affect the success of Something for Jackson, But if Keith Cooper’s screenplay ends on a stronger note, it could have significantly elevated the reputation of this cult gem 2020 horror movie.