‘Eli’ Twist Ending Leaves Netflix Fans Fuming: “I Deserved Better Than This Sh*t”

Netflix has some unhappy customers. On Friday, the streaming giant released a new original horror film, Eli, about a child with a rare autoimmune disease who begins seeing a ghost girl. Eli appeared to fit squarely into the month’s Netflix & Chills horror campaign, but fans soon began to point out that the film isn’t quite as advertised. With a shocking twist ending (more on that below), the Netflix Original seems to be dividing viewers, some of whom slammed the final act as “pathetic” and the “worst ever.” Added one viewer, “I deserved better than this shit.”

**Spoilers ahead for Eli on Netflix **

Eli tells the story of a young boy (Charlie Shotwell) with a rare autoimmune disease that requires him to avoid contact with the outside world, essentially turning him into a bubble boy. After years of isolation, Eli’s parents take him to a new doctor, Dr. Horn (Lili Taylor), who claims she can cure him with an intensive, painful treatment plan. Shortly after he begins treatment, Eli begins seeing a ghost of a young girl; while he initially thinks that the ghost is malicious, he soon comes to believe that she is trying to help him escape Dr. Horn and her torturous treatment.

In the film’s final 30 minutes, viewers learn the truth about Eli: he’s the son of the devil. For years, Eli’s mother said that he had an autoimmune disease to cover up the fact that he’s the son of Lucifer, who told her that Dr. Horn’s medical center would “cure” Eli (a lie of biblical proportions). When Eli learns the truth, he breaks free mid-exorcism and kills every doctor and nurse in the room, as well as his human father. He later learns that his neighbor Haley (Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink) is also a devil child (and therefore his half-sister), which helps him cope with his newfound reality.

Many fans didn’t appreciate the bait-and-switch. “The ending was shockingly bad. What an absolute waste of time,” wrote one viewer. “That ending what the fuck. That’s 2 hours of my life I’m never gonna get back,” tweeted another. “Worst ending to a movie ever, was disgustingly bad,” wrote another non-fan.

But not everyone hated Eli‘s twist ending. For every negative tweet, there’s a positive one praising the surprise reveal.

Eli is now streaming on Netflix.

Watch Eli on Netflix