Cell 211

"To survive inside, he has to become one of them."

2009 1h 48m ES

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 1,402

ActionThrillerDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot -- the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.

“To survive inside, he has to become one of them.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

PhiloSubscription

AMC Plus Apple TV channelSubscription

AMC+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

AMC+ Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

AMC+Subscription

Sundance NowSubscription

Netflix Standard with AdsSubscription

Cast

Alberto Ammann
Juan Oliver
Luis Tosar
Malamadre
Antonio Resines
José Utrilla
Marta Etura
Elena
Manuel Morón
Ernesto Almansa
Carlos Bardem
Apache
Luis Zahera
Releches
Fernando Soto
Armando Nieto

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Daniel Monzón
Writers: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Daniel Monzón
Languages: English, Spanish, Basque
Countries: France, Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.4× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, Basque.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Spain.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Daniel Monzón, shot by Carles Gusi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roque Baños. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mapa Pastor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alberto Ammann and Luis Tosar and Antonio Resines carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Daniel Monzón directs. Carles Gusi behind the camera. Roque Baños scores. Mapa Pastor cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in France, Spain. Dialogue in English, Spanish, Basque.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.4× over at the box office.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, Basque.
4International production across 2 countries: France, Spain.
5Directed by Daniel Monzón, shot by Carles Gusi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Roque Baños. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Mapa Pastor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Alberto Ammann and Luis Tosar and Antonio Resines carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "To survive inside, he has to become one of them.".
10IMDB entry: tt1242422 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 16 themes, including "suicide", "husband wife relationship", "based on novel or book", "pregnancy".
12Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Carles Gusi
Original score: Roque Baños
Editing: Mapa Pastor
Costume design: Montse Sancho
Makeup / hair: Raquel Fidalgo
Stunt coordinator: José Ignacio Álvarez
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,700,000
Box office: $19,300,483
Return: 339% of budget
Original language: ES
IMDB: Cell 211 (2009)

Awards

Goya Award for Best New Actor
Goya Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Goya Award for Best Sound
Goya Award for Best Editing
Goya Award for Best Director
Goya Award for Best Actor
Goya Award for Best Film
Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress
Premio Mestre Mateo á mellor dirección
Mestre Mateo Award for best supporting actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Daniel Monzón

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-03-14
★ 7/10
Now there are a few rather daft plot holes here, but in the main this is a really strong prison drama anchored well by Luis Tosar and Alberto Ammann. The latter man ("Juan") is on an orientation visit to a high security prison were he is shortly to begin work when a full scale riot breaks out. That is being led by "Malamadre" (Tosar) and it's only by luck - he had had an earlier accident and was recovering in cell 211 - that he isn't taken hostage like two of his soon-to-be colleagues. He's quite a quick thinker and thanks to him being slightly bloodstained, manages to convince their new boss that he's just another new inmate. Make no mistake, though - he is treading a very fine line as not everyone believes him, and as the negotiations begin in earnest he knows it is going to prove increasingly more difficult to help diffuse this scenario and stay in one piece. Meantime, the authorities are making quite an hash of things on the outside - and that rather shambolic operation leads to a tragedy that causes "Juan" to completely rethink his loyalties! What's actually more effective here is the dialogue and quite intense style of photography. Violent and angry it is, yes - but these prisoners are victims too. Their protests against a brutal regime of solitary confinement have long since fallen on deaf ears, so this action is quite literally their last resort - just ask the previous occupant of cell 211! Tosar is impressive as the slightly more sophisticated thug and as the two men work together, a bond - of sorts - begins that might ultimately be the only thing that keeps any of them breathing.

Production companies