The Takedown ending explained: Who are the Sons of Clovis? Who killed Kevin? (spoilers)

Netflix’s latest French film, The Takedown, is a fast-paced and hilarious action-adventure starring Lupin actor Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte. The pair play two mismatched cops recruited to investigate what appears to be a low-stakes homicide but turns out to be just the start of something far more insidious. Keep reading for The Takedown ending explained breakdown!

The movie begins with François (Lafitte) and Ousmane (Sy) assigned to visit a small town where the murder occurred. They meet with Deputy Captain Alice Gauthier (Izïa Higelin) and Captain Mercier (Stéphane Pezerat), who fill them in on the case. Ousmane, François and Alice then visit the morgue to see Kevin’s body, which has been sliced in half. As if that isn’t strange enough, Kevin’s body also appears to be cauterized.

Spoilers ahead for The Takedown

Below we’ll delve into the ending of the movie and break down exactly what happened with this murder investigation, in addition to The Takedown‘s many twists and turns. Whether you’ve watched the movie or not, keep reading for all the answers you need if you’re ready to know how the movie ends!

The Takedown ending explained: Who are the Sons of Clovis? Who killed Kevin Marchal?

Kevin Marchal is a 26-year-old drug trafficker living with his mom. At the start of the film, Kevin’s murder is the main event, although François and Ousmane soon discover his death is just the tip of the iceberg to a much greater conspiracy.

Ousmane, François and Alice go investigate the crime scene where Kevin was murdered. They deduce that Kevin was fleeing his attackers on a motorcycle when he was shot twice, flew off his bike over the guardrail and plummeted below toward the train tracks where he hit the high-voltage cables beneath, hence why his body was severed in half and cauterized. Then his murderer took his motorcycle to cover up the crime and left.

Kevin was a drug trafficker who was providing a crazy concoction to a local hate group called the Sons of Clovis. The problem is, the Sons of Clovis were operating under the guise of “concerned citizens” out to help people and solve the uptick in crime plaguing the city. And guess who the leader is? Mayor Antoine Brunner (Dimitri Storoge), a man Ousmane has no problem mincing words about describing as a fascist and outspoken racist.

The worst part is, even Captain Mercier is involved in the scheme, allowing the group to operate without impediment. Mercier conveniently leaves out that he spoke with Kevin on the phone before he was murdered. Kevin found out that the Sons of Clovis were orchestrating a large-scale coordinated attacks on places like mosques and synagogues.

Terrified, Kevin tried to contact the police, but seeing as Mercier is in bed with Brunner it got him killed by the hate group. They frame Carl (David Bán) for his death since Carl was a Clovis member and is now dead, making him an easy patsy for the case when, in reality, anyone in the group could have killed Kevin.

Once Ousmane and François finally put everything together, realizing that the group is planning to bomb a migrant center that night. They rush to the empty warehouse where the Sons of Clovis are gathering before the attack and François infiltrates the group.

The Takedown ending explained: Who does Alice Gauthier work for?

Ousmane gets held up by Alice who is actually in league with Brunner! In a twist, Alice turns on the men and tries to kill Ousmane. The two fight as all hell breaks loose inside the center when François gets caught holding a fake bomb trigger as a distraction. When the group realizes François isn’t on their side, they attack.

Ousmane manages to save him by driving his car through the wall and the two get into a car chase with Brunner and Alice. Ousmane slams into their car, leaving Alice incapacitated, but Brunner escapes. He triggers a very real bomb set to destroy the migrant center and everyone inside.

The Takedown ending explained: Do Ousmane and François stop the bomb?

Ousmane and François rush inside to evacuate all the inhabitants, leaving the duo stuck on the second floor with only seconds to spare. François comments that Ousmane should leave as he doesn’t want him to “die along with me.”

Luckily, neither of them ends up dying as the building collapses right on top of Brunner, although somehow the debris misses him. Ousmane gets to punch him instead. With the day saved and Brunner and Alice arrested, Ousmane and François walk away relatively unscathed.

The Takedown ending explained: What happens to François and Ousmane in the end?

In the final moments of the movie, Ousmane and François reach an understanding in their partnership. François reveals that he said he didn’t want Ousmane to die with him specifically because he thinks Ousmane is a better man and he has a son, while François is alone and less important. Ousmane assures him that isn’t true. It’s sweet.

Then Ousmane even helps get François in the new commercial for the police force since François is upset that the focus is always on the bad guys, rather the people who actually saved the day.

Stream The Takedown on Netflix now.