5 Shocking Ways 'There's Someone Inside Your House' Film Betrayed The Original Novel (And The Latest Sequel Status)

The 2021 Netflix slasher film, *There's Someone Inside Your House*, became an instant talking point for horror fans, but for those who read the original Stephanie Perkins novel, the adaptation felt like a completely different story. Released on the streaming giant in October 2021, the movie, directed by Patrick Brice and written by Henry Gayden, took the core concept of a masked killer targeting students at Osborne High in Nebraska and drastically changed the motive, the victims, and the entire atmosphere of the story. As of today, December 15, 2025, there are no plans for a sequel, making this deep dive into the original film and book the most current discussion. The film follows Makani Young (Sydney Park), a transfer student from Hawaii living with her grandmother, as a series of gruesome murders rocks her small town. The killer’s unique calling card is to wear a mask molded from the victim's face and expose their darkest, most private secret to the world before the attack. This focus on "secrets" and "exposure" is the biggest shift from Perkins's source material, transforming a classic slasher into a commentary on social media and public shaming.

The Core Cast and Characters of Osborne High

The success of the film hinges on its ensemble cast, who bring the terror and tension to life. The main characters, known as the "Breakfast Club" by some fans, are a tight-knit group of high school seniors.

• Makani Young (Played by Sydney Park): The protagonist and transfer student with a dark secret from her past in Hawaii. She is the killer's ultimate target.
• Ollie Larsson (Played by Théodore Pellerin): An outcast and former juvenile delinquent who becomes Makani's love interest. His suspicious nature makes him the primary red herring.
• Alex Crisp (Played by Asjha Cooper): Makani's best friend, known for her sharp wit and cynical commentary on the murders.
• Zach Sandford (Played by Dale Whibley): A wealthy, popular student whose secret is exposed early on, making him a suspect and a victim of public scrutiny.
• Darby (Played by Jesse LaTourette): A non-binary character whose honesty and bluntness provide a moral compass for the group.

5 Major & Shocking Differences Between the Book and the Netflix Film

While adaptations are expected to make changes, the film *There's Someone Inside Your House* fundamentally alters the story’s central mechanics, which is why the film's reception was so divisive among novel readers. The following differences are crucial for understanding the two versions.

1. The Killer's Identity and Motive: Exposure vs. Simple Revenge

This is the most significant change. In the Netflix film, the killer is revealed to be Zach Sandford (with an assist from his father, Skipper Sandford). His motive is to expose the hypocrisy and secrets of his classmates, believing he is cleansing the town of its lies after his own secret was exposed. He masks himself with the victim's face as a commentary on their true identity.

• The Facts Of Life Cast Where Are Eastlands Girls Now 2024 Updates 2tx8p

In the Stephanie Perkins novel, the killer is a different character entirely: David Ware. David's motive is far more personal and less philosophical. He is driven by a deep-seated, obsessive love for a specific classmate and a desire for revenge against those he feels have wronged him or his love interest. The novel's killer does not use the "secret-exposing" method, making the film's central theme a complete invention by screenwriter Henry Gayden.

2. The List of Victims and Survival Status

The film and the novel feature different body counts and survivors. The movie, for example, kills Caleb Greyson and Katie Koons early on, while the novel's victims include characters like Hayley, Matt, and Caleb, but their deaths and the circumstances surrounding them are changed. Most notably, Makani's best friend, Alex Crisp, survives the film, but in the book, Alex is a victim who tragically falls prey to David Ware's spree. This change dramatically alters the emotional stakes for Makani Young.

3. The Nature of Makani's Secret

In both versions, Makani has a profound secret from her past in Hawaii that haunts her. In the film, Makani's secret is that she was responsible for a hazing incident where she accidentally set a classmate's clothing on fire, leading to severe burns. In the novel, while the core of the secret remains a dangerous, reckless act that injured a friend, the specific details—such as the fire and the gravity of the injury—are altered to fit the film's more dramatic, high-stakes slasher narrative. The film makes Makani's secret feel more immediately dangerous.

• The Untouchable Privacy 7 Secrets Of Rachel Mcadams And Jamie Lindens Life Beyond The Red Carpet E820e

4. The Romance Between Makani and Ollie

The relationship between Makani and Ollie Larsson is a central element of the novel, providing a sweet, grounding Young Adult (YA) romance amidst the horror. Readers often highlight their chemistry and emotional connection as a key part of the story. The Patrick Brice-directed film, however, minimizes this romantic subplot, focusing more heavily on the slasher elements, the mystery, and the group dynamics. The romance is present, but it lacks the depth and development of the book, reducing Ollie's role to primarily a suspicious love interest and red herring.

5. The Setting and Tone: Cozy vs. Modern Slasher

The novel is often praised for its "cozy horror" atmosphere, blending a small-town, autumnal feel with genuine suspense. The film, in contrast, leans heavily into the modern slasher genre tropes, drawing clear inspiration from franchises like *Scream*. It features more brutal, stylized kills and a self-aware tone about the genre itself. The film’s focus on social media, podcasts, and the theme of public shaming is a modern overlay that is entirely absent from the 2017 source material, making the movie a timely, but less faithful, adaptation.

The Latest Sequel Status: Will We See a Second Slasher Film?

Since its release, fans have speculated about a potential sequel to the Netflix horror hit, especially given the platform's history of greenlighting follow-ups to popular genre films. However, the most recent information confirms that there are currently no plans for a continuation of the film series.

• The One Where They Tanked Jokes 15 Shocking New Secrets From The Friends Tv Show Behind The Scenes G9zdh

There are two main reasons why a sequel is unlikely:

1. No Source Material: The film is an adaptation of a standalone novel by Stephanie Perkins. There is no second book in the series, giving the filmmakers no existing story to draw from.
2. The Ending Was Conclusive: The 2021 film, directed by Patrick Brice, provides a definitive conclusion. The killer, Zach Sandford, is apprehended (or killed, depending on interpretation of the final scene), and the main characters, Makani Young and Ollie Larsson, survive, with Makani finally making peace with her past. The narrative threads are tied up, leaving no major cliffhanger to necessitate a Part 2.

While the door is never entirely closed in the world of slasher films, the lack of a second book and the definitive nature of the movie's ending make a sequel highly improbable. Fans of the film will have to look to other Netflix original horror titles for their next fix, while readers can re-explore the original, less-brutal version of the story by Stephanie Perkins.