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Sara uncovers a betrayal tied to her past
Kynch's dark secret is exposed via a toy
Irina escapes with proof of government crimes
Netflix’s Exterritorial is a gripping German action-thriller set entirely within the US Consulate in Frankfurt. Based on the novel by Michael Ostrowski, the movie traces the fight of former Special Forces operative Sara Wulf (Jeanne Goursaud) to save her kidnapped child and expose a high-ranking conspiracy. Unveiled on April 30, the film became the most-streamed title on Netflix in the United States within days.
Sara goes to the consulate with her young son Josh (Rickson Guy de Silva) to obtain a US visa. Josh plays in the consulate-provided children’s area while waiting. He vanishes into thin air.
In horror, the consulate personnel refuse to recognize her son in their records. Security officers tell her she arrived by herself and attempt to gaslight her into questioning her memory. Panic gives way to action as she decides to act on her own.
With her military training, Sara battles through several layers of security. Her mission: locate her son and discover why he was kidnapped. But she encounters more than physical resistance.
Erik Kynch (Dougray Scott), a Consulate security official, goes to extreme lengths to prevent her. His methods seem too heavy-handed, suspect. Meanwhile, he attempts to persuade others that Sara has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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The movie discloses that Sara has been in Afghanistan. Years back, her unit was ambushed by the Taliban, and eight of the soldiers, including her boyfriend and Josh’s dad, died. Sara was left as the only survivor.
Just before she went to the consulate, a reporter called her. He asked her to see if she could recognize anyone in a video posted on the attack, but she couldn’t remember anyone. That becomes relevant again as she continues to investigate how the consulate works.
Sara later learns that Kynch was based in Afghanistan during the same period. She finds evidence that he had a meeting with the Taliban and sold them classified information, the same information that resulted in the ambush of her team.
Kynch disputes all this and tries to make her sound insane. But Sara’s gut is screaming at her that he is the one responsible for taking her son and more.
In searching the consulate, Sara encounters Irina (Lera Abova), a captive young woman. Irina tells her she possesses a USB drive with evidence that the German government murdered her father, a notorious criminal.
She thinks that influential people wish her dead. Sara and Irina together defeat professional attackers who are pursuing the USB.
Sara and Irina discover the prime evidence in Kynch’s office, tying him directly to both abductions. They see he was going to make Sara the fall person and kill her in the process.
Irina flees the consulate in a truck. Sara goes after Kynch at his daughter’s school. She traps herself in a room with his child, so he has to deal with her.
In an intense dialogue, Kynch admits to leaking intelligence and organizing Irina’s kidnapping. He shoots Sara and himself to make the scene appear to be self-defense. But Sara had already taped his admission on a toy of Kynch’s daughter.
She broadcasts the tape through the intercom, exposing him to top officials.
Kynch is apprehended on the spot. His fellow conspirator, Sergeant Donovan (Kayode Akinyemi), is also arrested. Sara, although injured, recovers from the ordeal.
She is reunited with Josh and exonerated of any wrongdoing. At the hospital, she watches her son smile at her bedside, a moment of great relief.
Eight weeks later, she contacts Irina, who has arrived safely in the US. Sara informs her that she and Josh are making the final move to America. She’s still struggling with PTSD but is learning to cope.
The final scene of the movie features a helicopter passing by overhead, one of the triggers for her trauma. This time, she looks on peacefully and smiles, holding hands with her son.
Netflix hasn’t officially announced a sequel. But with Exterritorial rising on the streaming ranks and leaving some of the storylines loose, notably Irina’s USB drive, a follow-up film is feasible.
In the event, the sequel might delve deeper into political corruption, Sara’s life in the United States, or Irina’s struggle to reveal the truth.
