‘The Wasteland,’ also known as ‘El Páramo’ and ‘The Beast,’ is a horror-drama film directed by David Casademunt. It follows Diego, a shy young kid who lives with his mother in the middle of nowhere, cut off from the rest of the world. Diego fights his worries in order to defend his mother and himself from a frightening monster lurking outside their home.

The film combines supernatural and psychological thriller themes to the point where the distinctions between the two become blurred. As we approach the climax, the audience begins to share Diego’s uneasiness and is left with a perplexing conclusion. If you’re bewildered by the film’s ending and looking for solutions, we’ve got you covered! Here’s everything you need to know about ‘The Wasteland’ finale. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Synopsis of the Wasteland Plot

‘The Wasteland’ takes place in nineteenth-century Spain. Families have resorted to living in remote meadows in the midst of the fighting and mayhem. One such household is that of Diego, a little child who lives with his mother Lucia (also known as Mama) and father, Salvador. While Salvador strives to develop the frightened youngster into a brave man, Mama guards Diegos’ innocence. Diego learns about the Beast from his father. Salvador informs Diego that his sister, Juana, saw a creature that feeds on people’s anxieties and sadness. Juana passed away soon after seeing the Beast.

Salvador discovers an injured man in a brook near his home one day. Salvador tends to the man’s wounds, but the man attempts to attack Diego and Mama. Salvador fires a firearm at the man. Salvador decides to return the deceased man’s remains to his family. He ventures outside the protected zone and into the warzone in search of the man’s family. Days lapse into months, and Salvador is nowhere to be found. Mama begins to lose hope in her husband’s return and becomes melancholy. Diego tries everything he can to cheer up Mama, but it’s futile.

Mama eventually notices a dark and sickly figure resembling the Beast from Salvador’s story. The Beast appears on the horizon at first, but as time passes, he draws closer to the house, exactly as Salvador said. Mama and Diego have taken refuge in the house. Mama tries several times to slay the Beast before giving up. When the Beast knocks at their home, Mama tosses Diego out, declaring that the Beast desires her. In the end, Diego must face his fears and take action to save his mother.

Is Mama Dead at the End of The Wasteland? Is Diego responsible for the Beast’s death?

Mama throws Diego out of the house during the climax as she prepares to be devoured by the Beast. Diego, on the other hand, shatters the door with an ax in order to defend his mother. Mama is seriously injured and bleeding out as Diego enters the house. As the Beast approaches Mama, Diego steps in front of her and yells at the ominous figure. Diego has finally overcome his apprehension and is no longer terrified of the Beast. He shoots the Beast with the last bullet he has and gives himself some time to get Mama out of the house. Diego then sets fire to the house, ostensibly killing the Beast.

In a cart, Diego pushes Mama away from their home. However, she succumbs to her injuries and dies. Mama asks Diego to continue living his life in her closing hours. The Beast may be seen in the distance as Diego shuts his eyes and remembers the happy times he spent with his mother, hinting that the wicked creature is still alive. However, now that Diego has overcome his worries, the Beast can no longer feed on the youngster who sets out into the world on his own, bringing the film to a dramatic end.

Is the Beast a real thing? Do Diego and Mama suffer from a mental illness?

The Beast mythology is told in the film by Juana, whose parents violently mistreated her. Because of her worry and distress over her condition, Juana began to hallucinate the Beast’s presence as a result of the abuse. It is also reported that Juana was the only person who saw the Beast and perished after falling out of a window. As a result, Juana looks to have committed suicide. The Beast’s powers include psychological implications, implying that the creature is a projection of one’s own imagination and not genuine.

Mama believes Salvador is dead after he fails to return home. Mama’s paranoia from living through the war’s uncertainty, compounded with the sadness of losing her husband, most certainly emerges as a mental disorder. She exhibits signs of depression and, near the end of the film, becomes suicidal. She tries to hang herself but is rescued by Diego. When Diego discovers Mama in the house, she is covered in serious wounds that look to be self-inflicted. As a result, we feel Mama is motivated to commit suicide by her own sick brain.

Similarly, Diego is a young youngster who has little to no interpersonal interaction outside of his home. His only companions are bunnies, which he is forced to consume in order to survive. Hearing his father’s narrative about the Beast and witnessing his mother’s rising paranoia may have influenced the little boy’s mentality as well.

In the conclusion, it is implied that the Beast is still alive despite being burned. In this moment, the Beast appears briefly from Diego’s point of view, but when Diego turns to face the audience, we just see a tree in the background. Similarly, various artifacts in the house, such as the scarecrow, poles, and carved figures, mimic the shape and form of the Beast. Because of Mama and Diego’s poor mental state, they could easily believe that these objects are the Beast. As a result, we believe the Beast is an allegory for Mama and Diego’s mental condition.