Saagar Kote
Netflix’s ‘Firebreak’ or ‘Cortafuego’ centers on Mara and her daughter, Lide. Mara travels to her house in the forest with Lide. Mara’s brother-in-law, Luis, and his family members accompany the mother and daughter. They are there to sell the house and start life afresh following a recent tragedy. This simple family adventure is complicated by a forest fire that seems to spread quickly. With the situation worsening, the family decides to leave as early as possible.
However, Lide, the little girl, unexpectedly goes missing. With time running out and the fire blazing away, her fate gets more unpredictable. Realizing that her daughter is slipping away from her, Mara decides to brave it against overwhelming odds and rescue her before it is too late. As Mara undertakes a risky journey, she enters a realm of danger and uncertainty. As the fires get increasingly intense, the mother may have to accept that she cannot fight this deadly battle alone. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Firebreak Plot Synopsis
A radio tower near a forest short-circuits, sparking a fire. Mara travels to an isolated house by the forest with her eight-year-old daughter, Lide. Also accompanying her are her brother-in-law, Luis, his wife, Elena, and their son, Dani. They are there to sell the house to a realtor and pick up their belongings. It is revealed that Mara’s husband, Gustavo, who is also Luis’ brother, passed away in the house. A neighbor named Santiago stares at the family through his window. Santiago greets the family during lunch and gifts a butterfly-themed piece to little Lide. As they look outside, they see burnt particles rain down like snow and hear about the forest fire on the news. They rush to pack things as media reports that the firebreaks might work. Lide wishes to go to the forest to say goodbye to it, but Mara refuses. Disobeying her mother, Lide discreetly collects old photos, then walks out of the house and into the forest.
She stops by a small cabin, which has other old photos. As the others pack everything and ready the car, they realize that Lide is not there. Mara and Luis walk towards the cabin, but don’t find the girl there. Santiago joins them and says he saw her just moments ago. The group starts looking for Lide by shouting out her name, but hears no response. The fire from the other part of the forest spreads as the authorities try to quell it. Sergeant Revuelta of the missing persons unit and Corporal Baranda greet the family to help them out. The cops enforce an evacuation protocol and ask the family to leave. Mara refuses to leave without her daughter, and Luis and Elena stay with her for support. The cops start a large search party to look for the missing girl and fail to find her. The fire spreads, and the cops refuse to search further.
Mara and Luis decide to look for Lide themselves and ask Elena to stay behind in the house in case Lide returns before they do. Mara asks if she can borrow Santiago’s car and tells him that she wants to look inside his house if her daughter is there. Mara finds drug mushrooms and psychedelics in the house, and he refuses to open one of the doors. The cell phones lose signal, and Mara sees Santiago trying to leave in his car. Mara and Luis board the car quickly, acting like they don’t suspect him. When Santiago goes back to the house to pick up something he forgot, Mara and Luis spot Lide’s bracelet in the gear stick. When Santiago returns, Mara shows him the bracelet and asks him where Lide is. He tells her that Lide gave it to him and refuses to hand over the house keys, leaving Mara desperate. She breaks open the window and tells Santiago to open the secret door.
When he opens the door, they see that the room houses some kind of illegal drug operation. Mara opens another secret door and finds empty beds. But she still doesn’t find Lide. Mara spots a shovel, and Santiago says he uses it for a ritual. Luis and Mara tie up Santiago and question him. Luis forces Santiago to hand over the password to his phone, and Mara grows uncomfortable. With cell phones having no signal, Mara and Luis try to radio the cops but fail. They look for more clues on Santiago’s phone. Luis finds a video on the phone in which Santiago digs a hole and lies down like a corpse. Luis sees that this spot is close to the house and rushes there with the shovel. Santiago tells Mara that he tried to convince Lide to come back with him, but she refused.
Mara grows angrier and begs him to tell her where her daughter is. Luis shows Elena the video as he starts digging. Santiago tells Mara that he helps people who suffer by giving them mushrooms and getting rid of their fear of death. Mara finds out that Gustavo was with Luis when he last visited the house. As Luis finishes digging the ground, they don’t find Lide or any signs of a corpse. In a flashback sequence, Santiago digs up the hole and calls Jorge, one of his clients, to inform him that the spot is ready for the “rebirth ritual.” He then sees burnt particles in the air and drives away. In the present, Luis, Elena, and Mara refuse to believe Santiago. Meanwhile, a curious Dani enters Santiago’s house and sees him tied up. Santiago begs Dani to free him, and Dani hesitates.
Firebreak Ending: What Happened to Lide? Did Santiago Kidnap Her?
Dani frees Santiago before his dad and aunt reach the room. Luis grows angry as he hears Dani’s voice. Later, Santiago holds Dani hostage and drives away. As he reaches a safe distance, Santiago stops the car and asks Dani to get out and stay safe. However, Luis reaches the spot and starts hitting Santiago. During the struggle, Santiago fights back, and Luis gets more aggressive. Luis forces Santiago to speak, and the latter says he knows where Lide is. Luis asks Elena to go back to the house with Dani and call the cops if he and Mara don’t return by two hours. Santiago says that Lide is in the woods as he, Mara, and Luis start walking. Luis and Mara tie up Santiago again as they walk deeper into the forest. Santiago suddenly pushes Luis and runs away. He breaks free of his binds as Mara and Luis look for him.
Santiago hears a faint cry for help, which is Lide’s voice. He realizes this and starts shouting her name. Mara and Luis hear this and run towards his voice. Lide says she is in a ditch, and Santiago finds her. He tries to reach out to her, but his arms can’t reach her. Eventually, she climbs out of the ditch with Santiago’s help as the fire rages. Mara beats up Santiago and leaves him on the ground. She then hugs Lide and says that they have to run away from the forest. Mara covers her daughter’s face with a cloth and begins to run. Lide tells Mara that a bear chased her and that she fell into a ditch, confirming that Santiago helped her and didn’t hurt her. Earlier in the narrative, Santiago reaches the cabin where he finds Lide.
She shows him pictures of her dad, and he tells her he helped Gustavo in the past by helping him overcome his fear and insecurity. Santiago appears friendly and finds Lide’s bracelet on the ground. She tells him to keep it and refuses to go back in the car with him. He leaves without hurting her, intending to say a proper goodbye to the cabin and the forest. Lide watches him leave and then hears strange noises outside. This confirms the fact that Santiago never meant to hurt the little girl. Luis joins Lide and Mara, and the three walk back towards the house to get Lide to a hospital soon. Mara helps Lide into the car and realizes she left Santiago behind.
She tells Lide that Luis will take good care of her and runs back into the forest to help Santiago. Luis drives with Lide in the backseat and reaches the hospital before it is too late. Lide is taken to the emergency care section, where the doctors treat her for any fire-related injuries or breathing issues. Luis calls Elena and tells her that Lide is safe. Later, Luis, Elena, and Dani greet a recovering Lide and express happiness. Thus, Lide becomes a victim of circumstances, but manages to survive with Santiago, Mara, and Luis’ help.
Is Santiago Dead or Alive?
Mara returns to the forest after ensuring her daughter’s safety. She feels guilty about leaving Santiago behind and puts herself in danger again. In the forest, as the fire rages, Mara finds and saves Santiago, then apologizes to him for hurting him. After showing anger, Santiago hugs Mara as the fire blazes around them. The two of them feel emotional as they realize the gravity of the situation. Mara lies down on the ground, and Santiago walks toward the road for help. As Luis drives, he suddenly spots an injured Santiago by the road, screaming for help. However, he drives by and refuses to stop.
He finally applies the brakes slightly ahead and sees that a stranger has picked up Santiago. Luis follows the other vehicle and then reaches the hospital. Santiago and Lide are taken into emergency care at the same time. Later, in an emotionally poignant moment, Santiago goes to Lide’s hospital room and sees that she is recovering. He is relieved that the little girl survived the chaos around her. Santiago survives the fire due to his kindness and the connection he forges with Lide. All in all, Santiago has always been a kind person who tries to help others overcome pain and sadness.
What Happens to Mara?
Mara risks her life when she runs back into the forest to help Santiago. She is prepared to sacrifice her own life in order to right the wrongs. She isn’t seen with Santiago as he makes his way to the hospital. Luis, due to his suspicions about Santiago, still believes that he is a bad person. Though Lide recovers, Luis has no clue where Mara is, and Santiago doesn’t answer him. This leaves Mara’s fate in greater danger as the fire still consumes the forest. Mara lies down on the ground for a while, clueless about what is happening around her. However, after a few seconds, she gets up and finds the strength to keep fighting.
The cops and the fire rescue team reach the forest and save Mara before the fire gets worse. They also tell her that Lide is at the hospital and recovering. She begs them not to let her house burn down. They happily tell her that the fire has been contained and that everyone is safe. If not for the timely intervention of the fire department and the cops, Mara would probably not have survived the fire, despite it being largely contained. Thus, Mara, with her fighting spirit, manages to get through overwhelming odds.
What Does the Bear Sequence Signify?
Revuelta and the cops reach the hospital to question Santiago as he recovers from his injuries. The cops ask him how he got all the wounds on his face, and he is taken aback, not willing to tell them the truth about Luis and Mara hurting him. Santiago tells the officers that a bear attacked him unexpectedly. He also says that the bear could not be reasoned with as it was trying to protect its family. He chooses not to file a report, saying that a bear cannot be imprisoned. Through this story, Santiago symbolically compares Mara to a bear protecting its loved ones. He realizes that Mara was emotional during her acts of violence against him, because she was deeply driven by the love she has for her Lide. She becomes a beast, willing to go to any length to save her daughter. Because of his deeply personal feelings for Mara, Santiago chooses not to press charges against her.
In the forest, when Mara gets up, she sees a bear near her. The bear walks away without hurting her, and she gets emotional. This is a deeply symbolic and emotional part of the narrative, as a spiritual connection between Mara and the bear leads them towards peace and not violence. Earlier in the narrative, during a conversation with Dani, Luis tells him that Gustavo used to be a mountain man, which is why he made bear figurines out of wood. This signifies that Gustavo, in spirit, is still with his wife and daughter. The bear reflects Gustavo’s undying soul and his genuine love for his family. This love protects Mara and Lide when they are most vulnerable and struggling to survive. Just like Mara, the bear didn’t intend to hurt anyone. Thus, Mara’s good karma as a loving mother helps her survive the greatest danger without any damage to her body and soul.
What Does the Orange Flame Vine Mean?
With the fire dying down and the forest breathing easy again, night gives way to bright sunshine. Santiago walks a fair distance and finds an orange-flame vine flower amid the forest’s ruins. He goes to the house and sees Mara. He happily gives her the flower and says he brought it for Lide. In a deeply meaningful way, he tells her that this flower grows only after a fire, among the ashes. Mara smiles and tells Santiago that her daughter will love it, after which he leaves with a smile. The flower symbolizes the strength of the human soul through the characters of Mara, Santiago, and Lide. Just as the orange flame vine can bloom amid fire and destruction, individuals, too, can overcome tragedy and trauma to rebuild their lives.
It also proves that life is more than just aggression or violence, but about peace and purpose. Santiago sees Mara’s fighting spirit and concludes that she is just like the flower, and so is her daughter. The flower also symbolises innocence and the willingness to pursue happiness in the darkest of times. Although Mara and Lide are dealing with the death of Gustravo, they support each other when it matters the most. In conclusion, the flower extends Mara and Lide’s character arcs and guides them towards a happier, calmer future.
