WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Kin, in theaters now.


As much as Kin is a sci-fi action thriller, at its core it's an emotional drama. It focuses on a teenager, Eli, who discovers a powerful, otherworldly weapon, and is then forced to go on the run by his ex-con adoptive brother Jimmy. As they embark on a life of crime, the film dives deep into the theme of family, particularly the bonds between those who don't share the same blood.

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That bond inspires directors Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker to craft a rousing finale that ties Eli to a larger family, and a much more important mission. In doing so, Kin sets up a couple ways a sequel can chart out how Eli fulfills his newly revealed destiny as a galactic messiah.

Teaming Up With the Cleaners on Earth

In Kin's ending, Eli (Myles Truitt) and Jimmy (Jack Reynor) are saved from the criminal gang pursuing them by two mysterious, faceless figures called Cleaners. They've been trailing Eli to retrieve his weapon, left behind on Earth after a fight between rogue soldiers. The male Cleaner, played by Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan (who's an executive producer of Kin), reveals Eli is actually from their world, and their purpose is to ensure he remains hidden so he can later help to save their home.

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Before leaving, they indicate they will return for Eli so he can lead the rebellion as prophesied, and a sequel can fast-track that reunion by introducing more of the rogue soldiers who set out to kill him at the beginning of Kin. The ensuing battle in a warehouse ended with them killing each other, but the Cleaners warned that other assassins could follow.

That's why they give Eli a special tattoo in the finale, so they can track and reach him in his time of need. That certainly leaves an opening for the Cleaners to return to help Eli, and protect their own world's future.

Experiencing War on an Alien Planet

A sequel might not even have to deal with rogue agents returning for the chosen one. The follow-up can focus on an older, mature and battle-ready Eli, who's been training to fulfill his destiny.

Kin didn't detail exactly what happened on the mysterious, but apparently frozen, home world, who the enemies are or what sparked the civil war, so there's a blank canvas.

The next chapter could continue to map out Eli's training, presumably under the male Cleaner, who called him "brother" -- which may not be a literal term. Nonetheless, he clearly indicates he'd be the one mentoring Eli when the time came, and given the advanced technology on display, from time-freezing grenades to bulletproof suits to, yes, that explosive ray-gun, Eli will have a lot to learn as he moves from shooting gangsters on Earth to fighting on an alien planet ravaged by war.


Directed by Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker, Kin stars Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction), Zoë Kravitz (The Divergent Series), Carrie Coon (Avengers: Infinity War), Dennis Quaid (Frequency), James Franco (The Disaster Artist) and Myles Truitt (Black Lightning). The film is playing in theaters nationwide.