Collision Course Review: A Clever Heist With a Serious Trust Problem
Netflix's Collision Course has a clever idea, a gang of deeply untrustworthy criminals and a screenplay determined to make absolutely sure nobody escapes with their secrets intact. It's an inventive Spanish heist thriller that earns praise for its unusual storytelling, but there's a problem. The more elaborate the mystery becomes, the less convincing its characters appear.
Our verdict: an entertaining crime thriller whose screenplay seems considerably more interested in surprising its audience than making them care about the people involved. Director Daniel Sánchez Arévalo deserves credit for attempting something beyond the usual Netflix bank robbery. Unfortunately, a complicated crime doesn't automatically make a compelling crime story.
Enjoy watching bank robberies collapse into spectacular disasters? Try committing one yourself. Our 25 Best Heist Games ranking covers criminal crews, elaborate robberies and getaway plans destroyed by teammates with the survival instincts of wet cardboard.
Four Criminals, One Bank and a Terrible Getaway
Madrid, 2013. Spain is still suffering the consequences of its financial crisis, banks are hardly the nation's most beloved institutions, and four people have decided to make an unauthorised withdrawal. Their robbery targets a bank's safe-deposit boxes, but the operation becomes a considerably bigger disaster when their getaway ends in a violent car crash. Ideally, when fleeing a bank robbery, you'd like to put some distance between yourself and the authorities, preferably without depositing your vehicle into the nearest available obstacle.
But Collision Course has another complication. Three of the robbers are serving police officers, while the fourth is retired. They're the very people who might ordinarily be investigating the crime they've just committed. Which is fucking brilliant. Imagine robbing a bank and then turning up at work to help investigate yourself. You'd have access to evidence, knowledge of the investigation and potentially the opportunity to make incriminating details disappear. It's an excellent criminal advantage, provided nobody gets suspicious and your accomplices aren't behaving like complete idiots.
Unfortunately, trust isn't exactly this crew's strongest qualification. The film builds its mystery around the crash and the different ways its consequences might unfold. Each variation exposes more of the gang's relationships, motivations and betrayals. It's an ambitious premise that raises a rather important question: why would anybody trust these bastards with a bank robbery?
Clever Twists, Questionable Human Beings
The film's most enthusiastic critics praise precisely what makes it unusual. Hobby Consolas admired the careful distribution of information and the way seemingly insignificant details gain importance. Cinemanía celebrated its creativity, arguing that the initial confusion becomes part of the entertainment once the film reveals its intentions.
A good twist doesn't merely change what happens next. It changes what you thought happened before. An innocent remark becomes suspicious, a relationship suddenly looks different, and someone you've spent an hour trusting develops the moral reliability of a second-hand parachute.
But there's an enormous difference between surprising an audience and making that surprise matter. What's on Netflix gave the film 2.5/5, criticising its dependence on revelations and insufficient character development, particularly Carla and Tomás's troubled relationship and retired officer Pedro's motivations. That's a serious objection for a story built around betrayal.
A betrayal only hurts when the relationship mattered beforehand. Otherwise, it's merely somebody lying to somebody else, which isn't particularly extraordinary. Visit any used-car dealership and you'll have the same experience without paying for Netflix.
The problem isn't necessarily that these characters lack secrets. Quite the opposite. They appear to have more concealed personal business than a corrupt politician's second phone. The question is whether the film spends enough time establishing who they are before demonstrating how thoroughly they've deceived one another. A screenplay can be meticulously constructed without making the people inside it believable.
Criminals betraying criminals is entertaining, but what happens when you're the one making the terrible decisions? Explore our 25 Best Crime Games, from organised crime and elaborate heists to criminal empires that really ought to have been shut down years ago.
When the Police Become the Criminals
The 2013 setting provides more than background decoration. Financial desperation, debt and anger towards banking institutions create an interesting moral complication. It's possible to understand why somebody commits a robbery without excusing what happens afterwards. Desperation explains certain decisions. It doesn't magically turn selfishness into virtue.
There's also something wonderfully poisonous about the gang's professional background. These criminals understand police procedure, know what evidence matters and possess knowledge ordinary thieves could only dream of obtaining. Yet their greatest vulnerability may be their inability to cooperate.
Imagine assembling a bank-robbing team with access to police intelligence, only to discover everyone brought their unresolved relationship problems along for the journey. At that point, the getaway car isn't transport. It's a remarkably expensive argument with seatbelts.
The ensemble has attracted praise even from critics who disagree over the film's overall success. Laia Costa, Karra Elejalde, Luis Zahera, Tamar Novas and Álvaro Cervantes give the story a strong cast. But capable actors can only do so much if the screenplay prioritises revealing information about their characters over developing them.
Does the Ending Reward All Those Twists?
The conclusion appears to be one of the film's most divisive elements. Espinof praised the energetic direction, editing and performances while finding the final stretch less effective. Early audience reactions also vary. Some celebrate the originality and suspense, while others find the storytelling overexplained or unevenly paced. Interestingly, not everybody identifies the ending as the problem. Some viewers consider the middle less successful.
That disagreement matters because Collision Course asks for considerable attention. Its alternative outcomes require viewers to recognise changing circumstances, remember earlier details and reconsider everything they know about the gang. That's perfectly reasonable when the resulting revelations are worthwhile.
But a complicated movie isn't automatically an intelligent one. You can become so impressed with how everything fits together that you forget to ask whether anybody should care about the completed picture. It's rather like spending six hours assembling a thousand-piece jigsaw, only to discover you've produced a photograph of a beige carpet. Technically impressive. Emotionally devastating for entirely the wrong reasons.
The available criticism suggests Collision Course occasionally approaches that territory. Its structural ingenuity creates curiosity, but the emotional reward doesn't consistently appear to match the effort.
Verdict: A Clever Heist With a Human Problem
Collision Course has enough going for it to deserve attention from crime-thriller enthusiasts. Its police involvement gives the robbery an intriguing advantage, the alternative outcomes provide an unusual storytelling device, and the financial backdrop introduces moral complications beyond the usual question of who gets the money.
But the competing reviews point towards one persistent weakness: the film appears better at revealing its criminals' secrets than making those secrets emotionally devastating. Viewers who enjoy nonlinear mysteries, unreliable characters and intricate narrative construction have a promising evening ahead. Anyone expecting a grounded heist procedural, deeply developed criminal relationships or a wholly satisfying conclusion should lower their expectations.
The robbery is inventive, the screenplay ambitious and the criminals fascinatingly untrustworthy. The trouble is that discovering everyone is a liar only becomes truly devastating when you gave a damn about them in the first place.
Still in the mood for robbery? Enter the CRIMENET Heist Hub for PAYDAY, GTA heists, bank robbery guides and criminal operations where the only thing less reliable than the getaway plan is the person holding the drill.
Collision Course FAQ
Is Collision Course worth watching on Netflix?
Yes, particularly if you enjoy nonlinear crime thrillers with unreliable characters and unexpected twists. Its unusual storytelling and performances have attracted praise, although some critics found the character development and ending less satisfying.
Is Collision Course based on a true story?
No. Collision Course is a fictional crime thriller set in Madrid in 2013, against the backdrop of Spain's financial crisis. Its bank robbery and criminal characters are not presented as a reconstruction of an actual case.
Is Collision Course a traditional bank-heist movie?
Not quite. Although a bank robbery sets the events in motion, the film focuses on the getaway crash, the criminals' relationships and alternative outcomes that gradually reveal their secrets.
Does Collision Course have a satisfying ending?
Opinions are divided. Some viewers appreciate its unpredictable structure and revelations, while others find the resolution less rewarding than the elaborate buildup. Your enjoyment will largely depend on whether you prefer clever narrative puzzles or emotionally satisfying character drama.
Where can I watch Collision Course?
Collision Course premiered on October 30, 2026, and is available on Netflix.
Comments