What actually happens
A ghost mother with a warning
In 1887 in Buffalo, New York, a young Edith Cushing is visited by her dead mother, who tells her to beware of Crimson Peak. By 1901 Edith is a budding author, the daughter of a rich businessman named Carter Cushing. She meets Sir Thomas Sharpe, an English baronet, and his sister Lucille. Thomas wants investors for a machine that digs clay, which he hopes will bring his family's mines back to life. Mr. Cushing turns him down, and Thomas and Edith fall for each other anyway. Her father hires a private detective, who finds out unpleasant things about the Sharpes. Mr. Cushing pays them to leave and makes Thomas break Edith's heart by insulting her and her novel.
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A marriage, then a mansion that bleeds
Thomas sends back Edith's manuscript with a letter explaining himself, and the two reconcile. Soon after, Mr. Cushing is brutally killed, which makes Edith's childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael, suspicious. Thomas marries Edith, and they go to Allerdale Hall, the Sharpes' broken-down mansion in Cumberland, which is sinking into the red clay beneath it. Lucille serves Edith tea made from firethorn berries, and Thomas talks her into putting her father's money into his machine. Edith starts noticing that Thomas is not in bed at night. She has nightmares and keeps seeing red ghosts around the house. One tricks her into opening a closet full of wax phonograph cylinders and leads her down to the cellars, where a locked trunk with the name Enola carved on it is waiting. Thomas explains why the house is called Crimson Peak: warm clay seeps up through the snow and stains it red.
What the phonograph said
Edith steals a key from Lucille and opens the trunk, which contains a gramophone and secret papers. The recordings and documents tell her that Thomas has already married three other rich women, including Enola Sciotti, and that Lucille has been poisoning Edith's tea as part of a scheme to marry and kill for money for Thomas's inventions. Edith confronts them and walks in on the two embracing in a way that siblings should not, and Lucille pushes her off a balcony. Alan has meanwhile learned what Mr. Cushing found out about the Sharpes, including Thomas's other marriages and the time Lucille spent in a mental institution. He rushes to Allerdale Hall and arrives just after Edith falls. Lucille stabs him, then orders Thomas to finish the job. Thomas stabs Alan on purpose in a way that won't kill him, then hides him in the cellar.
The family tree gets pruned
This is the scene people dread most, and it comes near the end. Lucille makes Edith sign over her estate and admits she killed Thomas's earlier wives, Edith's father, and her own mother. She also confesses that she and Thomas had a child who died young. The earlier wives and the child are the ghosts Edith has been seeing. Edith stabs Lucille with a pen and runs, but Thomas stops her. He has truly fallen in love with Edith, so he burns the deed and begs Lucille to start a new life with them. Lucille stabs him instead. She then chases Edith with the cleaver she used on her mother, but Thomas's ghost stops her long enough for Edith to hit her with a shovel.
The ending, explained
After killing Lucille, Edith says a silent goodbye to Thomas, and he disappears. The villagers rescue Edith and Alan. Lucille becomes the ghost of Allerdale Hall and plays her piano there forever. Some time later, Edith writes a novel called Crimson Peak. Edith and Alan survive, while Thomas, Lucille, Mr. Cushing and the earlier wives, including Enola, do not, and the house is left with its ghosts.
The post-credits ruling
There is no post-credits scene. You can leave when the credits start.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: The dog does not make it, but it happens off screen.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is Crimson Peak scary?
Yes, Crimson Peak is a 5 out of 10, and the dread lasts about a night. It has red ghosts, a sinking mansion, a few violent scenes and some jump scares, and the pace is slow and gothic.
How does Crimson Peak end?
Lucille stabs Thomas, chases Edith with a cleaver, and Edith kills her with a shovel. Edith and Alan are rescued, and Lucille stays behind as the house's ghost.
Does the dog die in Crimson Peak?
Yes, the dog dies in Crimson Peak. It happens off screen behind Lucille's dress, and you only hear it yip twice. Butterflies are also shown dying on screen.
Is there a post-credits scene in Crimson Peak?
No. Crimson Peak has no post-credits scene, so you can leave when the credits start.
Who are the ghosts in Crimson Peak?
The ghosts in Crimson Peak are Thomas's earlier wives, whom Lucille killed, and the child Lucille had with Thomas, who died young. In the end Lucille herself becomes the house's ghost.
