Sharp Objects ending explained: Is Amma the real killer?

Amy Adams in a still from Sharp Objects (Image via HBO)

The finale of HBO's Sharp Objects raised many eyebrows with its twist. Based on the 2006 debut novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, this 8-episode series stars Amy Adams in the role of Camille Preaker, who, after receiving medical care for her alcoholism and self-harming tendencies, returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to report on the recent murders of two young girls.

By the end of Sharp Objects, Adora Crellin, Camille, and Amma's mother are sent to prison for the murders. However, the final scenes of the finale reveal that Amma is the killer. The post-credits scenes further reveal how those murders were done.

This 2018 HBO miniseries' synopsis on IMDb reads:

"After treating her mental illness, crime reporter Camille Preaker returns to her hometown to solve the murder of two young girls. However, she is forced to face and deal with her own demons too."

Amma is the real killer in Sharp Objects

After a series of mysteries built up across the season, the first half of the final episode shows Adora is the killer of the two girls. To be sure, Adora has committed certain criminal acts of her own. She was found guilty of poisoning Marian, Camille, and Amma and killing the first.

Gradually, it is revealed that Adora suffers from a psychological disorder called Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which causes a person, especially a caretaker, to harm another person. Of this, Adora is guilty.

However, Detective Richard also finds certain tools in Adora's house that cause him to believe she is the murderer of the two young girls. Adora is not guilty of this, and the truth regarding this forms the twist of Sharp Objects' finale.

In the eighth episode of the series, Amma moves in with Cammille as they try to return to their normal lives while staying in St. Louis. One day, Camille stumbles upon an actual human tooth in Amma's dollhouse. As the camera pans, the viewers see Amma standing at the door, telling Camille,

"Don't tell Mama."

This line proves that Amma has been the killer throughout. Moreover, in addition to killing the two girls in Wind Gap, Amma also murdered another girl in St. Louis.

What do the post-credits scenes reveal?

A still from the first post-credits scene (Image via HBO)

Sharp Objects has two post-credits scenes. One shows how Amma managed to kill Natalie and Ann with the help of her friends. Using the victims' teeth, she decorated parts of the dollhouse. The other post-credits scene shows how Amma killed Mae in St. Louis.

The series does not reveal too much about why Amma killed the three girls, but the book Sharp Objects delves into it. It is shown how Amma always felt the need to be the center of attention everywhere she went. When Adora started offering tuition to Natalie and Ann, Amma became jealous and murdered them.

Similarly, Camille was quite fond of Mae, and this flared up Amma's envy. Mae's mother informs Camille that Mae and Amma recently fought. It is revealed in the book that Amma killed Mae to be the sole receiver of Camille's attention.

What happens to Camille in the end?

A still showing Amy Adams as Camille Preaker (Image via HBO)

The series Sharp Objects ends with a bleak cliffhanger as Camille ponders over the momentous discovery she has come across. However, it does not show what the consequences for this are on the protagonist.

The book, however, explored these. With a history of depression, alcoholism, and self-harm, the traumatic truth Camille finds out takes a particularly heavy toll on her mental health.

The Sharp Objects book shows how she is taken in by her affectionate editor, Curry, and his wife so they may take care of the emotionally devastated Camille.