Wirpul and Candi in Surviving Hurricane Otis
Explained Film Netflix Now Showing Surviving Hurricane Otis

What really happened to Candi? The true story behind Surviving Hurricane Otis’ twist ending

The brothers were based on real-life sailors

Daisy Phillipson
26th October 2026, 16:29
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*Warning: Spoilers ahead for Surviving Hurricane Otis*

While Contra el Huracan – aka Surviving Hurricane Otis – is based on a true story, the Netflix movie made some big changes to the characters. But does that include the twist ending involving Candi?

The Netflix survival movie centres on Wirpul (Benny Emmanuel) and his half-brother Candi (Kristyan Ferrer), who get caught out at sea when an unexpected storm turns into Hurricane Otis. 

As you’ll likely know, Hurricane Otis was a real Category 5 cyclone that made a devastating landfall near the Mexican city of Acapulco in October 2023. Not only did it cause extensive damage to the area, becoming the costliest tropical cyclone to hit Mexico, but it also claimed 52 lives and left more than 30 people missing. 

But the film’s main characters are based on real people, too. Wirpul and Candi were inspired by Marlon Alfonso Valdez and Jonathan Chino, two young sailors who survived Hurricane Otis while working aboard yachts in Acapulco. 

Unlike the half-brothers in the film, Marlon and Jonathan are actually best friends. And they were on separate boats when the hurricane struck.

Their incredible survival stories caught the attention of director Jorge Michel Grau after he read about them in Spanish newspaper El País, inspiring him to turn their experiences into a Netflix movie.

And the real survivors were heavily involved in bringing it to life. They spoke to the writers and director about what happened that night, advised the actors, reviewed the codes between ships in the script, and even made a cameo appearance. 

But while the filmmakers drew on their experiences, they also took some creative liberties with the story. And that includes the rather dramatic twist involving Candi.

What happens at the end of Surviving Hurricane Otis?

Boat in Surviving Hurricane Otis
Credit: Netflix

Candi doesn’t die at the end of Surviving Hurricane Otis. Despite sacrificing himself to save his brother, he still manages to survive the storm. After they reunite, they come up with a plan, faking Candi’s death and claiming compensation from their exploitative former employer.

Towards the end of the film, the brothers are forced to abandon their yacht after Hurricane Otis becomes too powerful. Candi suffers a serious neck injury and nearly drowns, but Wirpul manages to save him before another sailor takes them aboard her boat.

But when they get another chance to escape, Candi tricks Wirpul into heading towards shore without him. He knows his injuries could put them both in danger, so he decides to stay behind, leaving Wirpul fearing the worst.

Thankfully, Candi survives after clinging to a piece of floating wreckage, which carries him towards the shore. 

The brothers are reunited at a medical centre. But rather than announcing his survival, Candi suggests they keep it a secret. He gives Wirpul his wallet and necklace to make it look as though he’s still missing at sea. This allows them to demand compensation from Nicolás (Andrew Leland Rogers), the wealthy owner of the yacht.

Nicolás and Wirpul in Surviving Hurricane Otis
Credit: Netflix

Don’t feel bad for him though. Nicolás had refused to let the brothers abandon his boat as the storm approached, putting both their lives at risk. 

Two weeks later, Wirpul meets Nicolás in Mexico City. After initially being offered 70,000 Mexican pesos (around $3,770), he negotiates a much larger payout of 180,000 pesos (around $9,690), along with the cost of his captain’s licence.

And because Nicolás still believes Candi died in the hurricane, he agrees to the deal rather than risk the consequences of his decisions becoming public.

By the end of the movie, the brothers have reconciled after years of family tensions and use their newfound money to start over. But one question remains…

Did they really fake a death for a payout?

Wirpul and Candi in Surviving Hurricane Otis
Credit: Netflix

Unsurprisingly, none of this actually happened in real life. The twist ending of Surviving Hurricane Otis was made up for the Netflix movie. 

In reality, the two friends survived the hurricane on separate boats and were eventually reunited on land. And they both decided to leave their lives at sea behind.

According to El País, Marlon now works at a hotel in Playa del Carmen, while Jonathan is a software developer in Mexico City.

Although the fake death twist was invented for the film, director Jorge Michel Grau has explained that he deliberately wanted to highlight how inequality impacts people’s experience of natural disasters. 

Speaking to El Informador, he said the filmmakers researched the real events and spoke extensively to the survivors to build the story. 

“There is a social sector that is the most affected. This is due to the lack of aid and support, but also because of the geographical areas where they are located or the material resources they have. The impact is extremely high,” he explained. 

“I feel it is our duty to open up these debates and make people listen to them, because people don’t necessarily notice some details due to the sheer scale of the event.”

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Featured image credit: Netflix