Abhiroop Das
At the end of the French action thriller ‘K.O.,’ Bastien has to fight tooth and nail to protect the son of the man he killed as those giving chase draw nearer. With stakes running high, the former UFC fighter and his new companion, Kenza, mow through hordes of enemies as they try to get to the boy before the notorious Manchours have their say. Throughout the narrative, we witness Bastien and Kenza confronting their past and passing through several trials to find Léo, but a mysterious mole continues to disrupt their efforts. Now, with everything at stake, Bastien and Kenza must fight the most meaningful fights of their lives and hope things work out in their favor, especially with Léo’s life on the line. SPOILERS AHEAD.
K.O. Plot Synopsis
Bastien is a former MMA champion who retired because he accidentally dealt a fatal blow to his opponent, Enzo Prince, whose wife, Emma, and son, Léo, bore witness to their loved one’s final moments in a horrifying manner. Haunted by the guilt of taking a life, Bastien becomes a recluse, working in a salt mine. Things also take a dark turn for Léo, who enters the dark world of crime as his father’s death leaves him aimlessly drifting until he is caught up in a web too big to untangle. When he goes missing, his mother is left in anguish. With no support from the Police, Bastien becomes her final hope. Brought back into the fold, Bastien resolves to find Léo and bring him home, as this may be his only chance to make things right and find inner peace.
Bastien’s journey takes him to Marseille, France, where he runs into Kenza Alaoui, a Police captain who’s also searching for Léo. Bastien realizes that Léo is her informant and that the two must work together to find him. Their investigation leads them to a picture of a girl and a hospital where Léo’s friend lies brutally beaten. He tells them that the girl in the picture is Inaya and that he knows her sister, Fatou, who works at the Pop Club. However, attempts to reach out to Fatou are promptly thwarted by the club’s aggressive bouncers. A wild fight sequence follows, as Bastien single-handedly takes them all out and, along with Kenza, earns Fatou’s trust. That night, Bastien and Kenza grow closer; they share their trauma and show support to each other. Their growing trust and friendship create an intimate bond.
Fatou’s information leads them to where Inaya and Léo are hiding, and tensions rise as the whole group reunites. Léo still detests Bastien for the death of his father. Before things can be sorted out between the two, however, the Manchour gang catches up and begins circling the building, prompting an early escape. As the group is cornered, Bastien asks Kenza to run with the kids and bravely faces the entire gang’s fury by himself. This action is unnecessary, as the Police finally enter the scene, overpowering the Manchour gang and ushering the innocents to safety. Back in the station, all seems right, with Léo warming up to Bastien. Their peace, however, is short-lived as the Manchours have other plans.
K.O. Ending: How Does Bastien Rescue Léo?
Bastien is shocked to find that the Manchours, in their desperation for Léo, infiltrate the police station, prepared to kill anyone in their way. At the end of a fierce cat-and-mouse chase, Bastien and Kenza face the two rampaging Manchour bosses by themselves. Kenza must survive the leader, Abdel, while Bastien is matched by Abdel’s brother, the powerhouse Driss. After their hard-earned victories, Bastien and Kenza finally recover Léo and bring him to safety.
When a mysterious phone call alerts the Manchour gang of the Police intending to take Léo out of Marseille, they panic, preparing to find and kill Léo by any means whatsoever. Their plan is to engage in mass criminal activity all over their city, forcing multiple police officers to be dispatched. With the forces spread thin, only a handful of officers remain, including Kenza, her colleagues Sarkissian and Vasseur, and their boss, Samuel. While they stay busy with Léo’s interrogation, Manchour gunmen destroy the station’s security systems and enter, firing immediately. As Bastien joins the rest of his allies, they are forced to move from room to room, narrowly avoiding getting killed at every step.
The Manchour brothers close in, with complete disregard for their lives, as they proceed to kill Commissioner Samuel and use one of their own as a human meat shield. With nowhere left to go, Bastien and Kenza finally confront the Manchours. They end up splitting, with Bastien entering a fierce hand-to-hand fight with Driss Manchour, whose brass-knuckled punches nearly take him out on several occasions. Bastien gains the upper hand and attempts to choke Driss, but he manages to free himself by stabbing Bastien in the abdomen. Refusing to accept defeat, Bastien manages to use the same shard to stab Driss in his leg and follows that with a combination of attacks that mirrors those he used in the MMA fight at the start of the movie, finally killing Driss.
At the same time, Kenza exchanges a flurry of blows with Abdel but is quickly overpowered. He begins to mock her by thrashing her around, remarking that she is not showing off anymore. When she refuses to budge, he prepares to finish it by choking her to death. Using all of her remaining strength, she pulls out her baton, which has been her weapon of choice the entire movie, and jams it into his eye before pulling herself into the wall, letting the baton push deeper through Abdel’s head, instantly killing him. Thus, the two Manchour brothers meet their end at the Police Station.
Who is The Mole in The Police Department?
Another major mystery in the narrative is the identity of the mole in the Police Station, who is revealed to be none other than Vasseur. Shortly before the attack by the Manchour brothers, Léo begins his account of the night he saw Andalou being intercepted. While hiding in the corner, he noticed an exchange between the Manchours and Andalou’s mysterious contact. He noted that this middleman, whose face remained hidden, had sold Andalou out and taken payment for it. It was implied that the same man tips the Manchours off about Léo’s present situation. Abdel then reminds him of the money he’d taken, threatening to reveal his identity if their predicament wasn’t resolved.
Léo remains frightened of discussing details about this mystery man, as it is tied to why he ran away from Kenza after seeing the Police accompany her. When Kenza reassures him of his safety, he reveals that the man is known in criminal circles as ‘The Cop.’ This information shocks Kenza, as it implies that their station has a mole. Immediately, her gaze goes to Sarkissian, her long-time friend. While initially, they are shown to have a deep connection, with her even being his child’s godmother, her feelings change after her suspension. Sarkissian alienates her, much like everyone else. That, coupled with the new revelation, makes her suspicious of him. Before he can even react, however, he is stabbed in the neck by Vasseur.
From the film’s beginning, Vasseur opposes Kenza, particularly her persistence regarding the existence of the Manchours. With this new revelation, that detail gains a new meaning. All along, Vasseur was working for the Manchours, covering their tracks and assisting them in making shady deals. With his cover blown, he finds no choice but to kill everyone in that room. He lunges for Kenza, telling her how she has no idea how powerful they are, but before he can take her life, she shoots him. With Vasseur down, she takes Léo’s hand and begins their perilous journey to safety.
What is Next for Bastien and Kenza?
After many trials and tribulations, Bastien and Kenza finally manage to free Léo from the clutches of the Manchours and now muse about their future. Léo’s association with crime is a consequence of the darkness he has had to endure following the death of his father, and yet, at the same time, his association with Kenza shows the goodness of his heart. In the end, he sits by the sea with his girlfriend; turning back, he finds his mother. As they both share a tearful reunion, Bastien and Kenza look on from a distance, with Kenza noting that he seems particularly happy. Indeed, Bastien, having protected the son of the man he killed, finds the redemption he had been yearning for so deeply.
This is also a personal victory for Kenza, who has always harbored a personal vendetta against the Manchours. In a moment of intimacy with Bastien, she reveals that she and her brother grew up in Manchour neighborhoods and that her brother worked with them. Following intense disagreements, the Manchours decided to punish him by burning him alive. Emotionally scarred for life, Kenza seeks revenge, an end to the Manchour empire in Marseille. In the same conversation, Bastien reveals that he relates to Léo, as he, too, grew up without a dad. Thus, both characters are driven by powerful emotions and a strong sense of responsibility.
With both characters successful in their goals, they now look into the horizon, discussing what the future holds for them. Having regained his confidence, Bastien wishes to find something new to fight for. This suggests many possibilities, two interesting ones being Bastien and Kenza furthering their budding relationship. While their romance is portrayed as casual, their chemistry is palpable, with the possibility of becoming something bigger. Another possibility is Bastien joining the Police Force, where his strength, skillset, and moral fiber are much needed. These and many other possibilities can be explored in a sequel to ‘K.O., ‘ as the story leaves enough room to continue Bastien’s action-filled adventures.
Read More: Where Was K.O. Filmed?
