Every month, I comb through Netflix’s slate of new movies and TV shows and in February, I was greeted with a surprise: “Prison Cell 211.” To anybody who has seen the excellent 2009 movie “Cell 211,” that name might seem a little familiar, and I initially wondered if this new Netflix thriller might be a sequel series or even a remake.
It turns out, it’s a new adaption of the 2003 novel by Francisco Pérez Gandul on which the movie was also based. So, yes, these two projects share a lot of similarities, and that’s a very good thing. The movie was a critical hit scoring 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while “Prison Cell 211” may not quite hit the same soaring heights, it’s still on course to be a real streaming smash hit.
“Prison Cell 211” debuted on Netflix earlier this week (on Wednesday, Feb. 5), and has quickly found itself a sizeable audience. As of writing, it’s rocketed straight into the No. 4 slot in Netflix’s top 10 most-watched list behind only established shows “The Recruit” and “The Night Agent” and the streamer’s new O.J. Simpson true drama docuseries, which has social media abuzz.
It’s an encouraging start, and after I streamed a sizeable portion of “Prison Cell 211” for myself over the past couple of days, I’m not surprised to see it resonating with Netflix subscribers. It’s a particularly great pick if you need something very bingeable over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know.
What is ‘Prison Cell 211’ about?
Juan (Diego Calva) is a human rights lawyer, working hard for his clients and with a heavily pregnant wife at home. Visiting an overcrowded prison to meet with a prisoner he’s set to defend in an upcoming trial, he finds himself very much in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Caught up in a prison riot, Juan witnesses sickening violence as a vengeful group of prisoners take over the institution. Even worse, the lawyer has no time to escape and instead finds himself caught up in the chaos and eventually with no choice but to pose as an inmate to survive.
Forced to act the part of a violent prisoner, Juan must cross moral lines to remain safe and undetected and soon discovers a dark side of himself. But as events within the prison escalate, will riot leader Calancho (Noé Hernández) discover Juan’s true identity?
‘Prison Cell 211’ on Netflix is the perfect weekend watch
First things first, “Prison Cell 211” is often a brutal watch. But the violence isn’t gratuitous and instead serves a narrative purpose. The violent moments make it very clear just how dangerous the prison environment is, and just how much trouble Juan finds himself in. To survive in such a place, Juan is forced to shed his civilian skin and become someone comfortable with crime.
This conflict within the lead is at the very core of “Prison Cell 211.” The show is fundamentally an exploration of how far one man will go to survive in an unfamiliar, and dangerous, environment. And right from the start, you’ll find yourself seriously invested in Juan’s plight. Plus, you’ll be under no illusions about just how much danger Juan is facing. An early sequence sees the lawyer hunted by a prisoner armed with a makeshift flamethrower.
It’s not just the compelling premise that makes “Prison Cell 211” a particularly suitable weekend binge-watch. The show is also refreshingly trim. Having just recently polished off Netflix’s new true crime drama “Apple Cider Vinegar,” which is overstuffed with bloated hour-long episodes, “Prison Cell 211” in comparison is extremely breezy with four of its six episodes running just 35 minutes in length, and the other two are only a shade over 40 mins apiece.
This makes clicking that “play next episode” button extremely tempting, and when watching the first two episodes back-to-back, I was genuinely quite surprised when the credits rolled. The show is well-paced and doesn’t seek to stretch its material across more episodes than required. It’s got a gripping story to tell, and it knows exactly how long it needs to do that. There's no fat.
Netflix has dropped a bunch of new shows this week, from the aforementioned “Apple Cider Vinegar” to new sci-fi chiller “Cassandra,” but if you want a show that will hook you from the first episode, and can be easily consumed over a lazy weekend, “Prison Cell 211” should be moved to the top of your watchlist. Heck, you can probably binge it so rapidly, that you’ll also have time to watch the fantastic movie version before the working week starts.
Looking for something a little lighter in tone, or just want to consider all your options before committing to your next weekend watch? Here’s a rundown of everything new being added to Netflix in February 2025.
Watch "Prison Cell 211" on Netflix now
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