The Ending Of Into The Dark: Blood Moon Explained

Hulu original Into The Dark: Blood Moon takes the classic werewolf story and turns it on its head. After a wounded Esme (Megalyn Echikunwoke) is first seen conquering an unknown assailant, we gather from the next couple of scenes that Esme and her son Luna (Yonas Kibreab) have been on the run for at least some portion of 10-year-old Luna's short life. Now in a no-name small town, Esme and Luna try their best to fit in despite their mysterious circumstances. The film drops some heavy-handed hints about what's coming, eventually revealing that Luna's father was a werewolf and he is one too. Esme is determined to protect their secret, going to great lengths to hide Luna for his upcoming transformation. 

The task is difficult enough without the men of the town interfering in Esme's life. The local hardware store owner Miguel (Marco Rodriguez) recognizes Esme's struggle as a single mother, and tries to help, while others, like Sherriff Townes (Gareth Williams), are suspicious of the new additions to the small town. At its core, Into The Dark: Blood Moon isn't just a werewolf film; it's a story about family, sacrifice, and survival explored through the lens of a supernatural family relationship.

In an earlier part of this episode of Into the Dark, Esme tells Luna why she felt she had to kill his father: she was afraid he would attack the two of them. After he learns the truth, Luna asks his mother if she was certain; although she isn't sure whether or not Joseph (Jack Yang) would have killed her while in werewolf form, she was and remains certain she needed to protect Luna at all cost. Once Luna transforms while in the sheriff's station, the werewolf devours anyone caught in his tracks. Finally, he reaches his mother. Esme is certain she will now have to face down her own son or die at his hands — or paws in this case. Instead, the wolf does nothing, signaling that even in lycanthrope form he recognizes his mother. 

With Miguel's help, the family escapes, with Luna still in wolf form. The question of whether or not his father could have learned to control himself is left unanswered, but as a mother, Esme knows she still has Luna to protect. The family drives off into the night and, while their difficult path is far from over, it's made a little easier by the fact that Luna is able to control his instincts. Although they've escaped once again, the town represents another bevy of sacrifices they've had to make in order to survive. Esme has lost her husband, any semblance of a normal life, and forfeited the lives of innocent people to protect what she feels is most important: her only son.

Into The Dark: Blood Moon gives viewers a glimpse into how a werewolf story begins, not how it ends, and an idea of the familial hardships that survival would require in a world in which such a fantastical being would be misunderstood.