Cell 211
It's not often that a prison thriller becomes as celebrated as Spain's Cell 211, but Daniel Monzon's quick-thinking drama is not your average jailbreak genre movie.
In this winner of eight Spanish Goya Awards, writer-director Monzon lays out a basic, albeit terrifying, premise and molds it into an intelligent story of man's potential inhumanity. Juan Oliver is knocked unconcious during the prison tour on the day before he begins his new job as prison officer. He is rushed to the empty cell 211 and left to come around. Meanwhile, inmates of the high security wing break free and riots break out. When he awakes he realises he's trapped and has to pretend to be a new prisoner in order to survive...
Engaging and intense, with striking performances by the cast, Cell 211 is pulsating and generic enough to warrant a Hollywood remake, yet smart enough to work as a devastating social critique.
Winner - Eight Spanish Goya Awards 2010 including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor
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