Surprising Heist Hit Just Landed on Netflix's TV Top 10
A new series about hapless treasure hunters has become one of the most popular shows on Netflix.
Summary
- A new Mexican TV show has recently been added to the Netflix library.
- It is an adventure series that follows a group of con artists in search of a Mayan treasure.
- The series has been incredibly popular with viewers and has made its way into the Top 10.
Netflix never ceases to please its audience in two aspects: foreign projects and heist series. Examples include the Spanish series Money Heist and its prequel Berlin, as well as the recent Chilean hit Baby Bandito. All in all, fans of heist movies and series will get their subscription money's worth. But what if instead of bank heists and airport robberies we went on a treasure hunt, and the dynamics between the criminal protagonists were reminiscent of Guy Ritchie 's goofy character dynamics? It would be like the recently released Mexican series Bandidos.
The show, which follows the attempts of resourceful crooks to find a legendary Mayan treasure, came out less than a week ago. But that hasn't stopped it from earning impressive ratings in its first few days, making it one of the most-watched Netflix shows in the world. Let's find out what this Mexican series is all about and why it's making such a big splash.
What Is the New Mexican Show About?
The series begins by introducing viewers to Miguel, a small-time hustler whose father, Juan Morales, once a legendary archaeologist, is suffering from Alzheimer's. A considerable amount of money is needed to help him, but unfortunately Miguel is not one to boast big numbers in his bank account lately... And so fate leads him to his father's longtime passion, the mysterious treasure of the Mayan Snake King, to which he has a map.
Miguel immediately recruits a group of hapless but resourceful bounty hunters. The newly formed motley crew consists of Lilí, a cunning scammer who bleeds rich and arrogant men dry; Miguel's uncle Wilson, who is a master forger; and hacker Lucas, who always carries a lot of gadgets. But even in Indiana Jones or Lara Croft movies, the treasure hunt has never been easy or without competition: it doesn't take long for Miguel and his team to face a dangerous confrontation.
Despite the fact that the series is pure fiction, some elements of Mexican culture are involved in the plot of the series, including real historical sites, and the so-called Snake Kingdom, the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul, that existed for many centuries.
The main advantage, however, is probably its star-studded cast of Mexican, Spanish and American actors who are known far beyond these countries. Here are some of them:
- Alfonso Dosal (Narcos: Mexico) — Miguel
- Ester Expósito (Elite) — Lilí
- Juan Pablo Medina (The House of Flowers) — Wilson
- Juan Pablo Fuentes (Pact of Silence) — Lucas
- Bruno Bichir (Narcos, Ozark) — Juan
- Mabel Cadena (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ) — Inés
- Nicolás Furtado (El Marginal) — Octavio
- Andrea Chaparro (Rebelde) — Citlalí
The Show Immediately Reached the Netflix Top 10
Viewers did not overlook the new series and almost immediately after its release on March 13, Bandidos became one of the most watched shows on Netflix. According to What's on Netflix, Bandidos broke into the Top 10 most-watched shows in the US, Canada, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany and India on March 14. In Mexico, it took the honorable number one spot. On March 17, the series ranked second in the Global Top 25 for both English-language and non-English-language shows.
As of this writing, March 18, the Mexican adventure series continues to hold the top spot, ranking as the fifth most-watched show in the US and remaining number one in Mexico.
The series is sure to appeal to fans of high-octane adventure and heist stories, as well as a vibrant ensemble cast with plenty of character development. While not an example of a show that is destined to turn pop culture on its head, Bandidos is an intriguing and bingeable project that is undoubtedly worth watching.