Brilliant. Powerful. Genius. Money Heist, or La Casa de Papel (“The House of Paper”) as it is known in Spain, has enthralled fans around the world. Stemming off from the classic heist plot, Money Heist features levels upon levels of a beautifully written story, transporting viewers from their couches straight into the Royal Mint of Spain.

Money Heist, a Spanish crime drama, follows the lives of convicted felons, assembled together in an attempt at “the greatest robbery ever.” Dressed in blood-red jumpsuits and Salvador Dali-styled masks, the gang attempts to take over the Royal Mint of Spain for 11 days, and in doing so, print a total of 2.4 billion euros. The group has carefully planned for every possible occurrence under their leader, The Professor. Although a wonderfully thought out heist, the show goes deeper, exploring—, familial issues and, because it’s a Netflix show, romance.

Originally written in Spanish and played by Spanish actors, the show has made its way around the world, grabbing attention from audiences in France, Argentina, the United States and most everywhere in between. According to Forbes, the show was streamed 65 million times during April, edging out the hit show Tiger King, which recorded 64 million views.

The Madrid-based producer, Álex Pina, described the show as “a brutal journey to the limit, like a ride on a vertiginous rollercoaster.” In a recent interview he also explained the show’s impact with regard to the current  pandemic. “I can promise the audience will not think of Covid-19 while watching it.”

Money Heist did a tremendous job keeping viewers hooked. For the 45 minutes in each episode, my mind was racing. “What is going to happen next?” “How are they going to get out of this situation?” All of these thoughts race through your head, and the result is never one that can be predicted.

The show also explores other issues, such as skepticism toward governments, banks and other large institutions. “Bella Ciao,” an Italian protest song, invokes these ideas every time the song begins to play. The Guardian has even noted that fans of the show have even gone so far as to perform protests and robberies dressed in the iconic red jumpsuits and masks worn in the show.