While some movies are meant to stand alone as a single entry, there are others that leave fans grasping at unanswered questions. Movies that receive high praise and good ratings are more likely to secure sequels that address missing information rather than those that go underrated and hold a small following. Thriller films seem to rarely have successful sequels because the storylines are too close together and feel stagnant. Prequels, however, have the opportunity to provide insight into the origins of a villainous character, possessed object, or unsettling location. With all theremakes of original filmstaking place in the last 10 years, it would be a smart move for screenwriters and directors to take a look at some undervalued thriller films and consider creating their backstories.
In 2012,Jennifer Lawrence starredalongside Max Thieriot in a psychological thriller,House at the End of the Street. The film as whole did not receive a lot of praise, but the ending left fans excited and wanting more. Within the last two minutes of the film, a plot twist took place that answered some questions, but raised even more.House at the End of the Streetis a film more than deserving of a prequel because the psychological torture and upbringing of the film’s killer is worth knowing when audiences realize they sympathize with the character.
Psychological Issues of Ryan Being Raised as His Sister
At the very end of the film, perScreen Rant, Ryan is seen in a psychiatric ward. He has a flashback to a birthday party where he is dressed as a little girl, and his mother calls him “Carrie Anne.” When he corrects her and says that his name is Ryan, he is met with a hard slap to the face. Until this flashback, the audience had thought Ryan’s sister, the real Carrie Anne, had run away just a few years prior to his arrest. This scene clarifies that, when Carrie Anne had an accident on the swings at a much younger age, she actually died. Ryan was then raised by his parents as his little sister.
Questions such as why the parents would disregard their son’s identity and choose to raise him as his deceased sister are the first to arise. InHouse at the End of the Street, there is a brief scene where Ryan’s mother is doing drugs in the house while her children play outside. Perhaps a prequel could elaborate on her delusions to keep her perfect daughter alive. Another concern to tackle is the reality of what took place while Ryan went to school. If he was made to wear dresses and be called “Carrie Anne” at home, was he enrolled in school as himself or his sister? There is no doubt that Ryan loses some sense of his identity over the years, but fans want to know what took place while he was growing up as an only child.
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Ryan’s Build-Up to Killing His Parents
At the beginning ofHouse at the End of the Street, audiences are made to believe that Carrie Anne stabbed her parents to death and then fled into the national forest. She becomes somewhat of a local legend that makes people fearful of being in the woods at night. However, upon learning that Ryan was forced togrow up as Carrie Anne, he is actually the one who killed his parents. A second movie could follow his murderous plan up until the act as well as what happened to him after his parents deaths. There are four years in between the discovery of his dead parents and when Elissa and her mother show up, but the time period between the deaths and when Ryan decided to show back up in town as himself leaves too many unanswered questions about what went on during his time away.
Given that his parents seemed to have stripped him of his identity at a young age, it is interesting to wonder whether Ryan concocted the plan days, weeks, months, or even years before he decided to commit the crime. Then again, there is the possibility that something took place during that stormy night, and he simply snapped.
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The New Carrie Annes
One thing we know for certain is that in between the time that Ryan killed his parents and Elissa moved in nextdoor, Ryan hadkidnapped at least one girlto fill the role of his sister. It remains unclear whether this kidnapping happened immediately after the death of his parents, upon his return as himself, or shortly before he gained new neighbors. After Ryan accidentally kills his faux sister by snapping her neck to keep her quiet, he wastes no time in finding another suitable replacement to store away in his basement. He later tries to kidnap Elissa by telling her hewantsher, but heneedsCarrie Anne.
Ryan’s need to fill his sister’s role with a physical person is unsettling to say the least. He wants to keep her locked in a basement where he provides food for her and tends to her needs, but there is no notion that he wants the trapped girl to build a relationship with him. There is more to Ryan’s psychological instability that needs to be addressed in a second movie.
