Cell 211

2009

1 hr. 50 min.

Action

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

98%

46 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When an inmate leads a rebellion, a young guard tries to survive by impersonating a prisoner.

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Critics Consensus

A uniquely sharp, well-acted prison drama, Cell 211 avoids exploitative thrills in favor of expertly ratcheted tension.

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rafe o

utterly gripping. from end to end. not at all happy but a wild ride.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/24

Full Review

Jose R

It's a pretty good movie, but it has some screenplay problems, most of them about credibility.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/20/22

Full Review

Late R

There are a number of plot points that seem very unlikely, including the one which the whole film revolves around, but that doesn't stop this well-acted and intense Spanish film from being a gripping affair that takes a decent man and pushes him to the brink, as well as taking a good, hard look at how the penal system fails its inmates and desperately needs changing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/30/21

Full Review

ari v

Made it through a half hour but couldn't shake this soap-opera kind of feel.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

panayiota k

An intense thriller that - i am assuming - really showcases the situation in some prisons and criticism towards government decisions.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Alberto Ammann era impresionante como siempre

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

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Daniel Monzón

Director

Carlos Bardem

Apache

Luis Tosar

Malamadre

Alberto Ammann

Juan Oliver

Marta Etura

Elena

Antonio Resines

Utrilla

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Roger Ebert

RogerEbert.com

In addition to its effectiveness as a thriller, it is also a film showing a man in the agonizing process of changing his values. And it is a critique of a cruel penal system.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 23, 2020

Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

It is packed with Tarantino-style violence... but the plotting is so fine and the suspense so blinding and the character strokes so masterful I was totally gripped.

Aug 31, 2018

Full Review

Anna Smith

metro.co.uk

Spanish prison movie Cell 211 is a winner if you're a fan of the nail-biting real-time thriller, using deception, undercover work and con artistry to deliver violence and heart-pounding scenes.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 24, 2018

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The film surprises and engages us in unexpected ways, changing our perceptions of characters and the situation again and again, yet always in an emotionally prevailing way.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 18, 2023

Full Review

Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

This is a (predictably) violent and dark entry into the prison drama genre, but I agree with the snarling and cruel Malamadre...

Dec 9, 2021

Full Review

Christine Champ

MTV

Director/co-writer Daniel Monzon does danger, and violence, with an almost delicate hand -- relying on tense realism and visceral fear rather than gratuitous gore.

Rated: A-

Sep 23, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

When an inmate leads a rebellion, a young guard tries to survive by impersonating a prisoner.

Director: Daniel Monzón
Executive Producer: Pilar Benito, Emma Lustres Gómez
Screenwriter: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Daniel Monzón
Production Co: Morena Films S.L., Vaca Films
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Spanish (Spain)
Release Date (DVD): Aug 30, 2011