Netflix’s Colors of Evil: Black story and ending explained, as it’s way deeper than you think

Colors of Evil: Black is the Polish crime thriller taking over Netflix right now, so here’s the ending explained in case it went over your head.

The second instalment in the Colors of Evil series, Colors of Evil: Black, follows Bilski’s new life in rural Poland when a young boy is kidnapped. He soon discovers this isn’t the first time it has happened. Corruption, urban legends and generational trauma are the centre of this gripping film, and by the end of it you might be thinking – what did I miss?

Here’s what the ending of Colors of Evil means, and the signs you might have missed

The basic facts are: Piotruś was kidnapped by Nicki. He was also a victim of a traumatic childhood that was swept under the rug by the people of the village. He chose Piotruś in particular because of the folklore deeply woven into the town’s culture. Piotruś is “en caul” – connected to the legend of Łopi. Nicki wants to sacrifice Piotruś.

Adam, the boy who was kidnapped before Piotruś, is revealed to have died after being kidnapped – and Nicki helped to dispose of his body. But thankfully, Bilski can end the cycle of trauma and death when he frees Piotruś and puts a stop to Nicki’s plan.

During the final scenes, Bilski confronts the people in the village behind the grand cover-up, who’ve been keeping these dark secrets for years. But we don’t get a satisfying scene seeing anyone arrested or thrown into jail.  The Colors of Evil films are based on the book series of the same name. There are six books in the series so far, and so far, they’ve been adapted to film in chronological order. So it’s safe to say we’ll be getting a Colors of Evil: White film soon.

But beyond the potential for a new film, this ending shows that exposing generational trauma and making it public is just the beginning of healing. A scene where the perpetrators are all arrested and jailed would be unrealistic, as these things take time to prove, take to court and get answers for. Instead, we’re left to reflect on the dark things that could be hidden closer than we think, and the importance of ending cycles of generational trauma.

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