Bank Under Siege – Review | Netflix

BANK UNDER SIEGE on Netflix is a new thriller crime miniseries from Spain (org. title: Asalto al Banco Central). It’s based on a true story, so it’s true crime but dramatized. With just 5 strong episodes, it’s well worth your time. Read our full Bank Under Siege series review here!

BANK UNDER SIEGE is a new Netflix miniseries from Spain (org. title: Asalto al Banco Central). It’s about one of the most spectacular crimes in Spanish history and this one offers a few different perspectives. With just five episodes, there’s plenty of story to cover, so it keeps a tight pace.

As a crime series based on a true story, this is true crime and a period piece (well, it happened in 1981, so not that long ago) production. The casting is wonderful and if you’ve watched the hugely popular Netflix series Money Heist or Elite – or the recently released The Platform 2 movie – you’ll recognize several faces.

Continue reading our review of the Bank Under Siege miniseries below. Find it on Netflix from November 8, 2024.

Hundreds of hostages, but what was the end goal?

The story of Bank Under Siege takes place in 1981 in Barcelona, where the central bank becomes the scene of a spectacular crime. Armed men hold up a bank and take hundreds hostage, which obviously makes the news immediately,

As this played out in 1981, it was well before the Internet, but with radio and TV (along with word of mouth), everyone knew about it very fast, so people also showed up.

So did a reporter, who we follow as she tries to uncover the true motive for the heist. I’ve used the word “spectacular” a few times, and I think you’ll understand why when you’ve watched this series. And you really should. Not only is it a gorgeous production, it has a stellar cast, and covers a very important part of Spanish history.

And in this day and age, we ought to look more to the past and (hopefully!) learn from it!

So many wonderful Spanish actors

When I started out by saying you’d probably recognize several faces in Bank Under Siege, there’s actually one key actor you may not recognize despite him being in a very recently released sequel. In this Netflix miniseries from Spain, Hovik Keuchkerian plays a mostly drunk but very skilled photojournalist.

If you can look past the hair and beard, you’ll see the actor who played the fully shaved (face and head) Zamiatin in The Platform 2. I kept finding him familiar while watching Bank Under Siege, but I couldn’t quite place him. But it’s the very same actor who just portrayed a key character in The Platform 2 (org. title: El hoyo 2).

And yes, he was also in Money Heist as were several other key actors from Bank Under Siege. Including the main character, Maider, portrayed by María Pedraza. You may also recognize María Pedraza from The Courier or the Toy Boy series. In Bank Under Siege, Maria Pedraza plays a young reporter who is ready to take on the world.

Not least due to experiences from her past that I won’t reveal here to avoid spoilers.

Also playing a key role in the new Netflix miniseries (as “Number One”, the lead bank robber) is Miguel Herrán. You may recognize him from the Netflix series Money Heist and Élite, or The Invisible Guardian which was the first movie in the Baztán movie trilogy.

Watch Bank Under Siege on Netflix now!

The creator and writer of Bank Under Siege (org. title: Asalto al Banco Central) is Patxi Amezcua, who previously wrote Vanished into the Night and Infiesto on Netflix. Also, Patxi Amezcua was responsible for the adaptation that became the movie The Warning (org. title: El aviso).

Daniel Calparsoro is the director of this limited series, and he was the director of the above-mentioned El Aviso. It’s a movie I really want to recommend checking out as well. Despite our rating of just 3 out of 5, it’s a movie I’ve never forgotten.

As mentioned earlier, this Spanish Netflix miniseries has just five episodes. Each has a runtime of between 36 and 54 minutes, so it really doesn’t drag on. Also, make sure you stick around for the real footage and updates at the end of the series.

Bank Under Siege is on Netflix from November 8, 2024.

Details

Director: Daniel Calparsoro
Creator: Patxi Amezcua
Cast: Hovik Keuchkerian, María Pedraza, Miguel Herrán, Chemi Hitos, Tomy Aguilera, Isak Férriz, Pablo Vázquez, Pablo Béjar, Juan José Ballesta