The Story
Grey Kessler is an Indie singer on the verge of recording her second album. She’s also experiencing strange visions of herself as a wolf. Popping pills to suppress these strange hallucinations, Grey shrugs off her therapy sessions to focus on her career.
This certainly takes a promising turn when Grey receives an invitation to work with notorious music producer Vaughn Daniels. Accompanied by girlfriend Charlie, Grey sets off for Vaughn’s estate; a remote refuge out in the middle of the woods.
What’s wrong with Grey Kessler?
Grey is encouraged to seek cognitive behaviour therapy by Dr Swan at the start of the movie. She’s a real mess and has clearly been drinking by the time their meeting takes place. Swan admits he hasn’t been able to find anything wrong with Grey after doing blood work and numerous scans. According to him, everything Grey’s feeling and experiencing is in her head.
Interestingly, we also learn later on that Grey’s Mother died when she was younger. Could this trauma be linked to what she’s currently experiencing?
Who is Vaughn Daniels? Is he related to Grey?
Vaughn Daniels is a former boy bander from the 90’s and later revealed to be Grey’s Father. He was acquitted for murder, but his career is one that’s definitely mysterious and moody.
Vaughn is actually a werewolf, and his blood has been passed on to Grey. It’s in their bloodline. This confirms that he’s actually her Father. They’re both shape-shifting humans and it has been Grey’s destiny to embrace this.
According to Vaughn, there are “more than you would think” in reference to werewolf numbers out in the field. Is he telling the truth or making this up to impress Grey?
Who dies in Bloodthirsty?
Given the tight-knit ensemble, Charlie is the only person to die on-screen. She’s killed by Grey, although she can’t remember doing this as she had transformed into a werewolf by this time. If you count animals here, there are several that pass away including a mouse which is squeezed to a pulp in a pretty horrific scene.
Vaughn also admits to killing Greta in the past. Greta is Grey’s Mother. She was actually going to kill him so he snatched the gun off her and shot the woman. The pair had a little girl but Greta didn’t want her to grow up like Vaughn. She lied and told him that the baby died. In reality, that baby grew up to be Grey.
How does Bloodthirsty end?
Grey confronts Vaughn and learns the big reveal written out in the paragraph above. Grey’s album is now complete too, and it’s here Grey witnesses Vaughn transform before her eyes. She shoots him dead before he can fully turn though.
This cuts straight to Grey’s interview with Dr. Swan. He doesn’t believe her story about a rabid animal attacking everyone in the house and asks if she’s been hallucinating recently. Grey is adamant she hasn’t.
We then cut one more time to Grey singing up on stage with her piano. While she sings her song about being Bloodthirsty, we’re kept in the dark (literally) about the size of Grey’s audience. While she sings, we cut to a blood-soaked Grey from that fateful night at the estate. She’s chuckling to herself and leaves the house having consumed Vaughn’s flesh.
Is Grey imagining the whole werewolf scenario?
Grey is clearly not of a sane mind, especially if she’s been prescribed psychotherapy. According to Vaughn, the werewolf gene is passed on and is “in the blood.” Yet, Dr. Swan found no traces of abnormalities in both blood work and head scans. Grey also admits that she imagines her Mum talking to her through the music.
It’s worth pointing out here that Grey is clearly still suffering from grief where her Mother passed away. Given the extremities around her parents, it seems convenient that this entire scenario of a second album has been built up around fulfilling Vaughn’s wishes to honour Greta with this new album.
At the end of the movie, the gunshot from Grey suddenly jumps back to Dr. Swan shutting the medical file. It feels like he’s reading this entire report that she’s concocted up and immediately tells her he’s concerned. He even outright asks about hallucinations and challenges her reality of these.
The end scene with Grey singing at her piano only reinforce this. The big stage is lit but the audience is bathed in darkness. The applause suddenly dies out to silence and Grey can hear herself breathing. Could all of this be in her head? It does feel that way, especially given Grey is feeling alone, grief-stricken and clearly in need of help.
(To read our full thoughts on this movie, check out our spoiler-free review HERE!)
Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! What did you think of Bloodthirsty’s ending? Do you think Grey is really a werewolf? Or do you agree with our alternate take on this? Let us know in the comments below!