For four seasons, MGM+’s brooding sci-fi horror series From has haunted fans with mystery after mystery. Chief among them are the grotesque monsters that prey on the involuntary inhabitants of the town fans have dubbed “Fromville.” These monsters were once ordinary people who sacrificed their children in exchange for immortality. The supernatural bargain that granted them eternal life came at the cost of their humanity, and they were transformed into ravenous creatures destined to terrorize the town forever.
From concealed the monsters’ true nature deep inside its mystery box before gradually revealing their origin, abilities, and weaknesses. Seasons 3 and 4 provided additional layers of mythology, such as why the creatures are so difficult to kill. However, several questions surrounding their existence remain unresolved.
What Are the Monsters in From, and Where Did They Come From?
From‘s monsters are former humans who were promised immortality by an unknown supernatural entity in exchange for their children’s lives. Season 3, Episode 10, “Revelations: Chapter Two,” exposed their origin after Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) experienced a vision and discovered the gruesome truth.
This revelation connects the monsters to several mysterious children who appear throughout the series. These macabre children, who repeat the word “anghkooey,” are central to Fromville’s supernatural mythology.
In the From Season 3 finale, Tabitha and Jade (Catalina Sandino Moreno and David Alpay) learn they’ve lived numerous lives and have attempted to save the sacrificed children time and time again. One of those children was their daughter in a previous incarnation. Unlike the monsters, Tabitha and Jade retained their humanity through a series of reincarnations. However, their connection to the original sacrifice suggests the monsters’ immortality and Fromville’s curse are very closely intertwined.
What remains unclear is who or what was responsible for the original bargain. The Man in Yellow (Douglas E. Hughes), who first appears in Season 3, is an obvious candidate. The show has demonstrated that he possesses various supernatural powers. His exact involvement in the creatures’ creation has yet to be revealed, though.
What Powers and Abilities Do the Monsters Have in From?
The monsters in From possess an array of otherworldly abilities. The MGM+ series has shown them displaying superhuman strength, physical transformation, and immortality. Even scarier is their remarkable intellect, which allows them to manipulate potential victims rather than relying on brute strength and ferocity alone.
The cold open to From‘s pilot episode wasted no time showing viewers the monsters’ capacity to resemble ordinary human beings. Despite donning clothing of a bygone era, the creatures appear just like any other friendly person one might encounter in a quaint suburban neighborhood. However, their familiar appearances mask their horrific faces, sharp fangs, and other inhuman features that emerge when they attack.
While they have more than enough physical advantages to make short work of their prey, the monsters in From seldom chase their victims. Taking cues from the horror genre’s most iconic slashers, the creatures stalk them slowly while sporting pleasant smiles and speaking calmly.
RELATED: Harold Perrineau Says ‘FROM’ Season 4 Gets “So Mean It Makes Me Mad” (Exclusive)
Their intelligence is especially dangerous. In Season 1, a monster posing as a young woman convinces a resident at Colony House to let her in through the bathroom window, despite the dwelling’s protective talisman. This results in a bloody massacre that demonstrates just how deadly the monsters can be when exploiting the human vulnerabilities and emotions they surrendered in the bargain.
The monsters operate according to a predictable schedule that involves emerging from the woods at night and sleeping in a network of underground caves during daylight hours. The reason for their nocturnal nature has yet to be definitively established.
Can the Monsters in From Be Killed?
From‘s monsters can be killed physically, but their immortality allows them to return. The seeds for this addition to Fromville’s lore were planted in Season 2 when Boyd (Harold Perrineau) becomes infected with worm-like parasites after an encounter with an imprisoned man named Martin. Boyd later transfers his infected blood into Smiley (Jamie McGuire), the show’s most recognizable monster, causing him to collapse and die.
Smiley’s death is a turning point for the show and for the residents of Fromville, who believed there were no reliable means of killing the monsters. It also allows the townspeople to perform an autopsy, during which they discover the creatures aren’t just abnormal on the outside. Their internal organs are dried out, and the only bodily fluid that can be found is bile within the gallbladder.
In Season 3, Fatima experiences a bizarre pregnancy that progresses rapidly and fills her with a hunger for rotting vegetables. Her pregnancy culminates in the birth of an organism enclosed in a fleshy sac. A mysterious woman in a kimono then brings the sac to the tunnels, and a fully grown Smiley soon emerges.
Smiley’s resurrection confirms that destroying a monster’s physical body doesn’t necessarily end its existence. Their immortality allows them to return, but it’s unclear if the resurrection process is the same each time.
Saving the sacrificed children may be the key to killing the monsters permanently, although it’s unclear whether doing so would break the curse and nullify the original supernatural bargain.
What Are the Monsters’ Weaknesses in From?
Despite their inhuman nature, the monsters aren’t invulnerable. The most effective defense against them is the use of mysterious stone talismans. Boyd discovered these talismans before the events of From and inadvertently discovered that they prevent the creatures from entering enclosed structures. This allowed Fromville’s residents to shelter inside their homes rather than hiding from the monsters every night.
To work, the talismans must be within a properly enclosed space. They cannot protect an enclosure if a door or window is open, and carrying one outdoors provides no help. The monsters’ ability to manipulate their victims makes the risk of exploiting the talismans’ limitations high. Convincing a resident to let one of them in renders the etched stone completely ineffective.
The monsters are susceptible to harm from at least one substance, as Boyd’s infected blood successfully kills Smiley. However, conventional attacks such as gunshots have failed to stop them.
Season 4 adds a new, devastating twist when the Man in Yellow, disguised as a new resident named Sophia (Julia Doyle), collects all of the talismans and tosses them into the hollowed-out trunk of a Faraway Tree. This leaves all of Fromville devoid of its most promising form of protection.
Can Humans Turn Into Monsters in From?
From Season 4 introduces a new complication by establishing that humans can turn into monsters, marking a major evolution in the creatures’ established origin. It had been implied that the creatures were only former humans who participated in the original child sacrifice. However, Fatima’s transformation suggests that making the same bargain isn’t necessarily required in order to become one.
Fatima’s connection to the creatures begins to take shape during Season 3, when her pregnancy leads to Smiley’s rebirth. The relationship continues to develop in Season 4 when she gains the ability to sense their presence and see through Smiley’s eyes.
RELATED: ‘From’ Stars Reveal the Season 4 Twist That Left Them “Totally Shocked” (Exclusive)
Things come to a head when the monsters are in pursuit of Boyd, Ellis (Corteon Moore), Tabitha, and Jade as they flee the underground tunnels. Fatima protects them by turning into a creature herself, complete with horrific facial features and fangs. The plan works, and the others escape, but Fatima remains in the tunnels.
Fatima’s transformation in From Season 4 is one of the most significant developments yet, since she never sacrificed a child. Her condition only developed after her pregnancy and exposure to Fromville’s supernatural forces. This raises the possibility that perhaps there are several processes through which the creatures can be created.
It’s unknown whether Fatima’s transformation is permanent or whether she possesses all the same supernatural abilities as the other monsters. But her willingness to protect the other townspeople suggests that becoming a monster doesn’t necessarily mean losing one’s humanity entirely.
With From heading toward its fifth and final season on MGM+, the monsters’ origin is no longer a complete mystery. However, their immortality stands in the way of the residents and their escape from Fromville. Whether the creatures can be destroyed permanently and whether Fatima can regain her humanity are just a few of the burning questions the series must answer in its swan song.
Support independent genre journalism. Horror Geek Life is powered by passionate writers, editors, and fans. If you enjoyed this article, you can help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee.
As an Amazon Associate, Horror Geek Life earns from qualifying purchases. Some links may be paid affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
