The Roost

Main Plot

"The Roost," directed by Ti West, follows a group of friends en route to a Halloween wedding who encounter car trouble on a desolate rural road. Seeking help, they stumble upon an abandoned barn, only to discover it harbors a dark secret. As night falls, they are besieged by a swarm of bats that turn their victims into bloodthirsty zombies. The friends must navigate the terror-filled night, battling both the undead and their own fears, in a desperate bid for survival. The film intertwines this main narrative with a late-night horror show, adding a layer of eerie, nostalgic atmosphere.

Characters

• Tom Noonan plays the Narrator, who introduces and concludes the horror story, adding a meta-narrative layer to the film's eerie atmosphere.
• Karl Jacob plays Trevor, one of the four friends whose car breaks down, leading them to a barn where they face a series of terrifying events involving bats and zombies.
• Vanessa Horneff plays Elliot, a young woman who, along with friends, faces a terrifying night battling supernatural creatures in a remote farmhouse.

Ending Explained

'The Roost,' directed by Ti West, concludes with a chilling and ambiguous ending. The film follows four friends who, after their car breaks down, seek help at a nearby barn. They soon discover that the barn is infested with bats that turn people into zombie-like creatures. In the climax, the remaining survivors, Trevor and Allison, attempt to escape the barn. Trevor is attacked and presumably killed by the creatures, leaving Allison to fend for herself. She manages to reach the road and flags down a passing car. However, the driver, who appears to be a farmer, turns out to be one of the infected, leading to Allison's uncertain fate. The film then cuts back to the horror host, who has been narrating the story throughout. He cryptically suggests that the tale might not be over, leaving the audience with a sense of unease and open-endedness. The ending plays into the film's overall atmosphere of dread and uncertainty, emphasizing the unpredictability and relentless nature of the horror they faced.