The Blackening Ending & Killer Identity Explained

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Blackening!The Blackening ending unmasks the killer’s identity and their motivations for setting up the deadly game. The 2023 horror comedy directed by Tim Story and written by Tracy Olliver and Dewayne Perkins is based on a 2018 short the latter created as a comedy sketch. The Blackening follows a group of friends as they reunite 10 years after college on Juneteenth to enjoy a weekend filled with games and fun. They later figure out that a sinister plot has begun based on their love for games. Locked in a cabin in the woods, the friend group fights to survive and learn who is trying to kill them, and why.

Before The Blackening releases on streaming, the movie received an exclusive theatrical release window, giving audiences around the world a chance to gather in crowds and enjoy the thrilling and funny adventure. For most of the runtime, the characters believe that their current situation can be chalked up to racism. As The Blackening plays with horror movie tropes and clichés involving Black characters, it slowly begins to unravel the truth behind what is happening. Here is a full breakdown of The Blackening‘s ending, the identity of the killer, their motivations, and the possibility of the story continuing.

Clifton Is The Mastermind Behind The Blackening’s Killings

The Blackening‘s ending confirms that Clifton is the mastermind behind the movie’s killings. Jermaine Fowler’s character at first seems to simply be a misplaced member of the weekend after claiming that he received an invitation from Morgan (Yvonne Orji). His participation in the weekend seemingly comes to an end when the group votes that he is “the Blackest” out of spite and the TV shows him shot in the chest with an arrow by the masked killer. It is not until much later on in The Blackening‘s ending that Clifton is revealed to still be alive and the one who actually orchestrated the entire events of the weekend.

The confirmation that Clifton is behind The Blackening‘s killings might leave some confused, as he is with the group for a good portion of the terrifying night. The ending shows that he has a belt pack capable of controlling when doors lock or unlock and lights turn on or off. Clifton does not have this device during the section of the night when he is spending time with the people he wants dead. This is because he hired people to play the masked killers. It is not until later in the night that Clifton is forced to take matters into his own hands to try and finish getting his revenge.

The Connor Twins Were Hired By Clifton To Kill The Group

The Blackening‘s ending delivers a twist by revealing that there are multiple men responsible for being the masked killer. It takes the group a long time to figure out that there are two killers, as it is only after Allison (played by The Blackening cast member Grace Byers) kills one that they realize the one they encountered earlier and stabbed in the foot had different boots. They are the Connor twins, Camden and Clive. Clifton hired the two rednecks to wear the masks and try and kill his former friends. He offered them only $100 per person they killed.

The Connor twins being The Blackening‘s killers is subtly set up throughout the movie. Camden is the lurking gas station attendant who Shanika (X Mayo) thinks is strange, but Clive is not shown before. The reason why Clifton hired the Connor twins specifically appears to have been a matter of convenience. Camden and Clive’s family own the house in the woods where the friends stay at for the weekend. The implication that the Connor family only normally rents out the house to white families, along with the Confederate Flag in one of the rooms, helps explain that Camden and Clive were likely racists, making them willing to do the job.

Clifton’s Motivations & Backstory In The Blackening Explained

Clifton’s motivations and backstory also become clear in The Blackening‘s ending. The reason that he wants to kill the entire friend group is because he views them as responsible for ruining his life. 10 years ago to the day that the group got back together, Clifton’s life changed after a horrible game night involving everyone who came to the house. He explains that he always had a love of games, but he could never quite get a grasp on Spades and accidentally reneges. The friend group begins making fun of Clifton for not understanding how to play Spades, including Lisa (Antoinette Robertson) saying his Black card has been revoked.

The ridicule causes Clifton to drink for the first time in his life, and he then gets behind the wheel to go for a drive. This is where his life changes, as Clifton hits a woman with his car and kills her. He is sentenced to four years in jail for the crime and grows to detest the people he once thought were his friends. Lisa’s comment specifically sticks with him, which is why Clifton’s form of getting revenge in The Blackening‘s ending is all about determining who is the “Blackest” among them.

The Biggest Clues To Clifton Being The Blackening’s Killer

There are a few different moments in The Blackening that are clues to Clifton being responsible for the killers. His introduction is conspicuous enough, as he claims to have been invited even though it is clear that no one in the friend group remembers him. His presence is even accounted for once the group starts playing The Blackening game, as there are game pieces symbolizing each person. Clifton should not have had one if he was never meant to be there. Another clue that Clifton is The Blackening‘s killer is that he keeps urging the group to participate in the games and follow what the masked man says.

Everyone Who Dies In The Blackening

There are several characters who die in The Blackening. The first character to die is Shawn (Jay Pharoah), as the masked killer shoots him in the neck with an arrow. The next person to die is Shawn’s partner Morgan, as she is tortured by the Connor twins before ultimately killing her after she attempts to escape. Camden and Clive Connor both die during the climax of The Blackening, as Allison stabs Camden repeatedly with arrowheads and Lisa crushes Clive’s face with a large statue. The only other person who definitively dies in The Blackening is Officer White (Diedrich Bader), who is shot in the neck by an arrow.

Is Clifton Really Dead After The Blackening’s Ending?

It does appear that Clifton dies in The Blackening‘s ending as well, but there is some wiggle room for him to still be alive. He is shot in the chest with an arrow by Shanika during the final confrontation and then Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins) kicks him over a ledge and into the well. The group drops an item down the well shortly after and hears it hit the water below. This means there is a possibility that Clifton could survive the fall into the well. He already survived being shot in the chest once before in the movie, so it would not be too unbelievable that he survived another.

How The Blackening’s Ending Sets Up A Possible Sequel

The Blackening‘s ending does leave the door open for a possible sequel. Dewayne, Lisa, Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), King (Melvin Gregg), Allison, and Shanika are all alive in the end and question what they should do. They get a good laugh out of the idea that they should call the cops before deciding to call firefighters. Since they are responsible for killing the Connor twins, it is possible that the rest of the family will take it upon themselves to get revenge. The movie established early on that each of their names is listed for the rental, so the Connor family could come for revenge in a potential The Blackening sequel.

The Real Meaning Of The Blackening’s Ending

Amidst all the comedy, horror tropes, and not-so-subtle social commentary, the ultimate meaning of The Blackening‘s ending is about the spectrum of Blackness. The entire movie is built around the fact that it is an all-Black cast in a horror movie and discussions about which of them is the Blackest. The movie makes a point to emphasize that just because someone is bi-racial, gay, married to a white person, successful, nerdy, or African does not make them any more or less Black than the rest of the characters. As a result, The Blackening‘s ending emphasizes how Black characters can be much more than cliché archetypes or stereotypes.