As it turns out, the inhabitants of Camp Arcadia exist in a kind of time bubble created by the entity, who communicates with the humans only through photos and videos. The creature controlling the area is never seen, but it is implied that as with a lot of cosmic horror, the thing has power akin to that of a god. The Arcadia members restart their timeline every 10 years once a third moon ascends to the sky – the entity rips the camp to pieces, and they begin the loop again.
Other characters Justin runs into near the camp, meanwhile, are in much worse situations, repeating violent deaths again and again, apparently for the amusement of the entity. This is where Benson and Moorhead staged a crossover with “Resolution,” as Justin meets the lead characters from that film, Chris and Mike.
“The Endless” reveals that the force keeping them from leaving in “Resolution” and the monster of this film are one and the same, and five years after the first film, Chris and Mike are still caught in a seven-day time loop that can only end in their deaths. Justin is only able to watch helplessly as the characters begin the week once again, permanently trapped in a nightmare.