Netflix's Money Heist: A Perfect Blend Of Squid Game & Ocean's Eleven

2 days ago 12

Published Apr 21, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

One of Netflix’s most successful TV shows to date brings together the best elements of Squid Game and Ocean’s Eleven, with some great plot twists as well. Netflix has stood out for its original content, especially its TV shows, covering a variety of genres and with a wide selection of titles for viewers of all ages. Some of Netflix’s original shows now rank among the best TV shows of all time, and a couple of them were key to establishing the streamer as one of the production studios to watch out for.

Money Heist was a huge critical hit and was very well received by general audiences as well, becoming one of Netflix’s biggest and most influential original shows, as well as a cultural phenomenon. Money Heist proved that Netflix can make great thrillers and crime dramas, as well as international shows that overcome the language barrier thanks to their high quality and genre-blending.

Money Heist Perfectly Blends Suspense & Crime Drama

While Squid Game, Ocean’s Eleven, and Money Heist definitely sound like a weird combination with not much (or anything) in common, the latter brings together the best elements of the former two. Like Money Heist, Squid Game is one of Netflix’s biggest TV shows, becoming a massive worldwide cultural phenomenon that also happens to be an international production.

Squid Game is a dystopian survival thriller drama, and though it’s a completely different setting from Money Heist, both shows are linked through their characters going through financial desperation, leading them to risk their lives for money. Surely, one is all about a complex bank robbery that could either go very well or terribly wrong, and the other is about a series of deadly games and basically torture for entertainment.

Money Heist also has elements from Ocean’s Eleven, one of the most notable heist movies ever. Ocean’s Eleven sees thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney) assembling a team of specialists, which includes pickpockets, hackers, explosive experts, and more, to rob three casinos at the same time. It’s easy to see the similarities between Money Heist and Ocean’s Eleven, though the former leans more towards drama and suspense, and the latter takes a comedic route sometimes.

Money Heist perfectly brings together suspense, survival, thriller, and crime drama, as viewers follow closely the elaborate plans by the Professor (Álvaro Monte), how the heists unfold, the challenges and unexpected issues the team comes across, and the solutions, with various unexpected plot twists that also make the show worth rewatching.

Money Heist Spawned One Of Netflix’s Biggest Franchises

Money Heist still featuring the cast in masks with weapons.

At the time of writing, Money Heist holds an average critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes of 94%, and it stands as one of Netflix’s best TV shows to date. The success and impact of Money Heist were such that it didn’t end after those three seasons, as it spawned a franchise with spinoffs, international adaptations, video games, and documentaries.

Not long after the ending of Money Heist, a Korean version was released on Netflix, titled Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area. The Korean version of Money Heist followed the same premise as the original show, with a criminal mastermind known as the Professor (Yoo Ji-tae) planning a heist in the reunified Korean Peninsula. Money Heist: Korea was released in 2022 in two parts, and at the time of writing, it hasn’t been canceled or renewed.

The following year, the spinoff series Berlin was released. Berlin is a prequel to Money Heist and follows the title character (Pedro Alonso) years before the events of the main show, as he commits another heist and leads a criminal gang. Berlin was renewed for a second season, which is set for a May 15, 2026, release.

Money Heist left a big mark on Netflix, proving that the streamer is more than just a platform to watch TV shows, and it can produce high-quality content, including international ones. Money Heist is a must-watch for crime drama fans, and its twists, big reveals, and details invite multiple rewatches.