Netflix’s New Spanish Thriller Becomes Second Most-Watched Show Despite Terrible Reviews
Netflix’s new Spanish thriller, Billionaires’ Bunker (original title: El refugio atómico), is turning heads for a surprising reason.
Despite getting poor reviews, it has climbed to become the second most-watched show on the streaming platform worldwide.
The series was created by Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato and released on Netflix on September 19. It is produced by Vancouver Media and consists of eight hour-long episodes.
The story follows a group of billionaires hiding in a bunker called the Kimera Underground Park as they prepare for an impending nuclear war.
Tensions rise as rivalries between two families escalate in the claustrophobic setting. The cast includes Pau Simón as Max Varela, Alícia Falcó as Asia, Miren Ibarguren as Minerva, along with Agustina Bisio, Joaquín Furriel, Natalia Verbeke, Carlos Santos, Montse Guallar, Álex Villazán, and Almudena Salort as Cindy.
Critics, however, have not been kind to the series. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a Tomatometer score of 38% based on eight reviews, with a 57% audience rating on Popcornmeter.
Reviews describe the series as a glossy soap opera rather than the tense survival thriller it promises. One critic wrote, “Billionaires’ Bunker is marketed as a survival dystopia, but it ends up playing as a glossy soap opera with a bargain-bin apocalypse.”
Another review added, “The first episode was okay but this series quickly turns into a bad ‘La Casa de Papel’ clone. There are also a lot of inconsistencies and technological nonsense that make the situation even worse. Don’t waste your time.”
Billionaires' Bunker, a new series from the creators of La Casa de Papel, premieres September 19.
— Netflix (@netflix) September 2, 2025
A group of billionaires are forced to coexist after locking themselves in a luxury bunker due to the threat of an unprecedented global conflict. pic.twitter.com/tAwi2R6cq6
Some reviewers acknowledge that the show has moments of drama, but it often falls back on clichés and predictable subplots. “Billionaire’s Bunker has a great premise and its fair share of surprises, but it eventually devolves into tedium thanks to a too-long runtime – eight hour-long episodes – and a gradual abandonment of what made that premise great in the first place,” said one critic.
Another bluntly advised viewers to skip it: “Spanish Silo, but with all the women knowing all the men are either too manly or are pathetic… there’s really no reason to watch another season or even one episode. Time waster. Get a haircut instead.”
Despite the harsh reviews, audiences are still tuning in. Netflix reports that Billionaires’ Bunker has become the platform’s second-most-watched show globally, proving that even poorly reviewed content can attract viewers if the premise is intriguing or the marketing is strong.
The series might grab your attention at first with its survival and billionaire drama setup, but it seems to lack the tension and focus that make thrillers truly exciting. Would you give Billionaires’ Bunker a chance, or would you skip it like many critics suggest? Share your thoughts in the comments.