Netflix’s Earth & Blood Ending And Real Meaning Explained

Warning! Major spoilers for Earth & Blood follow. 

A peaceful sawmill becomes anything but in the explosive ending of Netflix’s Earth & Blood – here’s what happens, and what it really means. Directed by Julien Leclercq, Earth & Blood released on Netflix in April 2020, and sees gang violence and family drama collide in an unexpected way, with sawmill owner Saïd at the center. Saïd is determined to protect his family by any means necessary, no matter how bloody things might get.

The French film starts things off with a heist, and two criminals escape with eight kilos of cocaine stolen from a gang. Simultaneously, sawmill owner Saïd finds out he has cancer. The diagnosis forces him to make the decision to sell the sawmill, to ensure that his daughter Sarah has a better life after he’s gone. As he moves forward with the process, Saïd begins to suspect his employee Yanis, who is out on parole, is connected to the heist.

As it transpires later in Earth & Blood, Saïd’s hunch was right, and Yanis had hidden drugs on the property. The surviving members of the heist descend on the sawmill to retrieve the drugs. Things come together in a dangerous way in the original Netflix film’s ending.

Does the Gang Find the Cocaine?

The events of Netflix’s Earth & Blood are set into motion because Yanis’ brother and a few other criminals steal a boatload of cocaine from drug lords. The group discovers that the cocaine has been stashed in the sawmill, so descend on Saïd’s land, ready to wreak havoc. But what they don’t expect is for Saïd to fight back so fiercely. Frankly, he doesn’t seem too concerned with the drugs themselves. But once these gang members start threatening his daughter, a fire is lit underneath him. Saïd manages to take out each one of the gang members, starting with the leader Adama’s, brother. Both sides are motivated by family, whether it be protecting them or avenging them. The film ends as the police arrive, so it’s fair to assume that the authorities seize the cocaine. That in turn means that Saïd’s family will remain safe, and that he succeeded in his ultimate goal of protecting Sarah.

What Happens to Yanis in Earth & Blood?

Things aren’t so great for Yanis at the beginning of Netflix’s Earth & Blood. He works at Saïd’s sawmill, but is on thin ice with his parole officer, who is pressuring him to find even more work. His brother lures him back into a life of crime by convincing him to hide cocaine that he and his partner just stole from a gang. In a panicked and rash moment, Yanis decides to hide the drugs at his place of employment. But naturally the gang discovers Yanis’ hiding spot, and descends upon the sawmill to wreak havoc until the drugs are returned to them.

Saïd quickly figures out that Yanis is responsible for bringing the gang to the sawmill, and the young man is wracked with guilt over what he’s done. It’s clear that Yanis respects Saïd a great deal. Yanis was already an employee of Saïd’s, but still asks him for more work. As Yanis is a former felon, Saïd seems to be the only person who’s taken a chance on the young man. As he thinks he’s earned the opportunity for more work, Yanis is clearly trying to prove himself to Saïd. But the clue is in the title — blood is important too. Yanis slips up because of his allegiance to his brother.

When he realizes that Yanis’ mistake will bring a gang to his land, Saïd initially locks Yanis and Sarah in the sawmill for their own protection. But eventually, he sends Yanis to protect Sarah while he attempts to deal with the issue firsthand. Yanis doesn’t last long away from the safety of the sawmill. The guilt of betraying Saïd drives him into protecting Sarah to the best of his ability. That costs him his life, as he is stabbed by one of the gang members as he attempts to continue to protect Sarah. Yanis dies just as Saïd returns to help them. Yanis’ motivations in the Netflix original movie are driven by blood, whether it be Saïd’s or his own. It’s a bittersweet, full-circle moment for him.

Does Sarah Survive in Earth & Blood?

From the very first scene of Netflix’s Earth & Blood, Saïd’s top priority is Sarah’s well-being. She is hearing and speech-impaired, so she requires a little extra help to get by. One of Saïd’s biggest motivators for selling the sawmill is to use the profits to help pay for Sarah’s studies. So when dangerous criminals take over the sawmill, Sarah is in even more danger than the others, because she cannot hear the foes coming or attempt to talk to them. Not only that, but when Adama realizes that Saïd killed his brother to protect Sarah, he vows to kill her as revenge — blood for blood.

Sarah is eventually separated from her dad, as he sends Yanis to protect Sarah as he attempts to fight off the gang. Sadly, Yanis is killed in his mission to protect her. Sarah is left to fend for herself and is eventually captured by Adama. He nearly kills her, as he is deeply motivated by the death of his brother. But Saïd steps in and kills the criminal first. Both men are so moved by love for their families that they’d be willing to do anything for them. Saïd just happened to have better timing than Adama. The movie ends with Sarah and Saïd safely awaiting the authorities’ momentary arrival.

What Happens to Saïd in Earth & Blood?

With a cancer diagnosis kicking off the Netflix thriller, it seemed unlikely that Saïd would survive the events of Earth & Blood. But while it’s not explicitly said, it’s assumed Saïd ultimately survives. Once the gang raids the sawmill in search of the stolen cocaine, Saïd immediately kicks things into action. After Yanis reports that the cops will be arriving in 20 minutes, Saïd does everything in his power to make sure Sarah is safe. He distracts the gang and sends Yanis off with a gun to protect her.

The plan works until Yanis gets killed in his mission to protect Sarah. Saïd fights fire with fire as he attempts to make his way back to his daughter, getting injured in the process. He manages to reunite with Sarah in the knick of time, as he saves her from the last criminal standing. Saïd collapses next to his daughter as the authorities arrive, hurt but seemingly not fatally so.

The Real Meaning of Earth & Blood’s Ending

Earth & Blood begins and ends with the same theme — family. After Saïd receives his diagnosis in the beginning of the film, he visits his late wife’s sister. As it turns out, Saïd inherited the sawmill from his father-in-law. He informs his sister-in-law of his plans to sell the sawmill, but assures her that both she and Sarah will be taken care of. But once the gang descends on his sawmill to take back the cocaine, money is the last thing on his mind. All he cares about is protecting Sarah. He kills a number of men over the course of the film to protect her. He sends Yanis to keep her safe too, knowing that it could cost the young man his life. Anything is worth keeping Sarah safe. The final shot of Netflix’s Earth & Blood is Saïd collapsing in his daughter’s arms, proving that at the end of the day, family is what matters the most.

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