We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) Ending Explained
TL;DR: We're All Going to the World's Fair is a psychological horror film that blurs the lines between reality and online role-playing. The ending sees Casey, a lonely teenager obsessed with the "World's Fair Challenge" internet creepypasta, seemingly losing herself in the game's surreal rules. After interacting with an older man named JLB, who may or may not be manipulating her, Casey undergoes a cryptic transformation, leaving her fate ambiguous. The film concludes with an unsettling monologue from JLB, suggesting either supernatural possession or a shared delusion between the two characters. The ending is intentionally open-ended, forcing viewers to question whether Casey's experiences are real, imagined, or a product of online psychosis.
The Ending Explained
The final act of We're All Going to the World's Fair is deliberately ambiguous, refusing to provide concrete answers about Casey's fate. After spending most of the film documenting her participation in the "World's Fair Challenge"—an online horror game that supposedly alters its players - Casey begins exhibiting strange behavior, including physical tremors and dissociation. The film's climax centers around her interaction with JLB, an older man who claims to have also undergone the "transformation" the challenge promises. Their final conversation takes place in a dimly lit room, where Casey's voice distorts eerily, and she repeats cryptic phrases. JLB, in turn, delivers a monologue about how the game "works," suggesting that the participants lose themselves in a shared fantasy. The film ends with Casey lying motionless, her condition unknown, while JLB continues to narrate as if speaking to an unseen audience.
Unresolved Questions & Possible Interpretations
- Did Casey actually undergo a supernatural transformation?
- Yes: The film's eerie sound design and visual distortions imply something paranormal is happening.
- No: It could all be a psychological breakdown fueled by isolation and online role-play.
- Is JLB a predator, a fellow participant, or something else?
- Predator: He may be exploiting Casey's vulnerability for his own gratification.
- Fellow victim: He might genuinely believe in the game's power and sees Casey as a kindred spirit.
- Fictional construct: Some argue JLB is a figment of Casey's imagination.
- What does the ending monologue mean?
- JLB's speech could be a meta-commentary on internet horror culture, where shared myths become "real" through collective belief.
- Alternatively, it might suggest that the game has consumed both of them, trapping them in a loop of delusion.
Themes of Isolation and Digital Identity
The film explores how the internet can distort reality, especially for lonely individuals like Casey. Her immersion in the "World's Fair Challenge" mirrors real-life online subcultures where fantasy and reality blur. The ending reinforces this by leaving it unclear whether her transformation is supernatural or a manifestation of her mental state. JLB's role complicates things further-his ambiguous motives reflect the dangers of anonymous online relationships, where manipulation and sincerity are hard to distinguish. The film suggests that, for some, the line between digital escapism and actual identity dissolution is dangerously thin.
Cinematic Techniques Enhancing the Ambiguity
Director Jane Schoenbrun uses lo-fi visuals, ASMR-like audio, and lingering shots to create an unsettling atmosphere. The lack of traditional jump scares or clear supernatural events makes the horror more psychological. The final scene's distortion effects - Casey's glitching voice, the unnatural lighting-could imply supernatural forces at work, or they could simply represent her fractured psyche. The film's refusal to clarify keeps the audience questioning, much like the characters themselves. This stylistic choice reinforces the central theme: the internet can make the unreal feel real, especially to those who crave belonging.
Personal Opinion
We're All Going to the World's Fair is a haunting meditation on loneliness and the seductive danger of online myth-making. The ending is frustrating in the best way-it denies easy answers, forcing the viewer to sit with the discomfort of not knowing whether Casey is possessed, mentally ill, or just playing an elaborate game. JLB's monologue feels like a warning about how internet folklore can consume people, especially young, vulnerable ones. While some may find the lack of resolution unsatisfying, I think it's the perfect conclusion for a film about the unknowable nature of digital identity. It lingers in your mind, much like an unsettling creepypasta that feels too real to dismiss entirely.
Final Thought: The film isn't about providing answers but about immersing the audience in the same uncertainty its characters experience-a bold, unsettling choice that makes it unforgettable.