u/Master-Action4

Has anyone ever wondered why that figure trapped in the caves seems so threatening?

Another question: why does Tabitha only see two children who keep insisting that she remember something?

Abby tells Boyd that the forest feeds on hope because hope is what makes a person willing to suffer.

Right now, everyone is asking how to save children who are already dead. But what if they’re not actually dead?

What if they lure the reincarnations of the people who did this to them, only to take revenge?

Whoever trapped them in the caves probably did it for a reason.

If they’re still alive, maybe they also have worms like Martin did, making them immortal.

And what if the Man in Yellow is actually their grandfather?

Remember that Tylie said she had 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

Martin could be the Man in Yellow. There are two skeletons in the dungeon, which could be the children’s parents (the siblings of the original Jade and Tabitha).

The first inhabitants of the town may have discovered what their grandfather was going to do, imprisoned them in the dungeon, and set fire to their houses (as we see in one of Victor’s drawings).

Martin and the children received eternal life through the worms, but remained trapped for centuries until Boyd freed them during a journey through time when he broke the music box.

Based on this theory, the town’s original residents may not all have been convinced to kill their children — only the Man in Yellow and his children (he had 4 children and 7 grandchildren).

It’s possible that Boyd is the reincarnation of the colony leader who carried out the punishment against them (just like when the town forced him to place a man in the box to die). The town wanted to force him into the dilemma of punishing someone with death, just as he may have done in the past.

I have a theory that the town in From was not a prison until the late 1960s or early 1970s. I believe it was once an ordinary village and only became a prison after Miranda arrived with her children, probably on the same day Christopher came to town.

The story is likely connected to the arrival of the first colonists in the United States, who settled in Jamestown. There were many reports of people hearing voices coming from the forest there. The native peoples of the region also had two local deities: Ahone (benevolent and requiring no sacrifices) and Oke (a god who demanded sacrifices).

My guess is that the first colonists were convinced to make a pact with Oke in exchange for sacrificing children.

The church in town looks extremely old, similar to the ruins of Jamestown Historic Site. There are also reports of lights coming from that church over time.

The area was probably crossed by soldiers during the American Civil War as well.

I think the children’s hope soaked into the roots of the forest trees, transforming the forest into a living entity (which would explain why it moves).

The colonists likely created the talismans using Anglo-Saxon runes. The symbol in the center of the talisman appears to be a combination of two or more runes (a bindrune), which means protection and was used for household safety.

The Man in Yellow was imprisoned in the dungeons and watched over by the music box with the ballerina (the worms come out of the ballerina’s mouth in Boyd’s vision).

Martin may actually be the Man in Yellow, and Boyd freed him through time travel. Abby may have been trying to warn him. The forest feeds on hope, and that was how it kept the Man in Yellow imprisoned.

Over the centuries, people received messages in their minds from the Man in Yellow, but they were not truly trapped in the town yet.

We can infer this because the town has a strong 1960s–70s aesthetic, the same period when Victor arrived. Even his lunchbox is a reference to the disco era.

Another clue is that the monsters wear professional uniforms or formal clothing (like the bride), suggesting the town once had a normal daily routine before the massacre.

Also, the U.S. flag shown has 50 stars, and the 50-star United States flag adoption only became official on July 4, 1960. That suggests there was still contact with the outside world until that time.

In Christopher’s photo found inside the journal, he is smiling and the cars appear normally parked, as if everything was still normal.

My theory is that something happened when Miranda arrived. I believe she was the first person to see the tree when entering town. At that time, there were no monsters.

I also think Victor contributed to the day of the massacre. He only draws things he has already seen, and in the intro sequence it is possible to notice that he saw everything that happened — even children hiding under their beds.

At that time, people did not hide because there were no monsters, which is why people were spread throughout the streets. In the intro, everything looks normal: a teacup on the table, food in the diner, and children’s toys that looked new and clean.

There is also a drawing of two children and a dog. They are smiling and outside at night, reinforcing the idea that there were no nighttime monsters back then.

Notice that the spinning playground toy looked new and was working normally on the day of the massacre.

I also think the monsters in the intro are shadow-like beings that took over the bodies of some residents (their bodies are only dried-out shells inside).

In one drawing, an eye watches through a keyhole, and in the corner of the eye we can see what looks like a reflection of what the person is witnessing: shadows attacking someone.

Victor was not hiding that day. He saw everything, which is why he was able to draw it in such detail.

He said Christopher revealed everyone’s location, but we cannot fully trust Victor’s memories. We know nothing about what really happened to Christopher that day — only what Victor said. Victor would have had no way of knowing what Christopher did, so he probably assumed it or invented it.

I believe the monsters’ true form is the final drawing in the intro: a shadow seen from the front.

Most theories assume the town was always a prison and exists in repeating cycles. But we have no concrete proof of that.

As for the Lake of Tears, in Victor’s drawing we see water droplets falling from all sides. It is likely the lake is inside an underground cave, with drops falling from the ceiling — which is why it is called the Lake of Tears.