Is Netflix’s The Accident Based on A True Story?

One of Netflix’s newest shows is The Accident (or El Accidente), a Mexican drama show about a tragic occurrence that brought sorrow to the lives of many. But is The Accident based on a true story or just a purely imaginative series?

Is Netflix’s The Accident a True Story?

No. The Accident is a purely fictional work, and no direct register of such a tragedy was used as a catalyst for writing the show. No books portray the same story, either, so it’s safe to say that the show’s plot and developments were just a product made by the show’s creator, Leonardo Padrón, who wanted to make a tragic story about dealing with grief, loss, and anger.

This doesn’t mean that Padrón couldn’t have been loosely inspired by similar situations he has experienced during his life, as is the case with many shows out there. But as far as we know, a similar incident to the one portrayed in the series hasn’t occurred. The Netflix show shouldn’t be confused with Channel 4’s 2019 series with the same name, as that was openly inspired by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Related: Is Griselda Based on a True Story?

What Is The Accident About?

While it’s not based on a true story, The Accident follows the story of the aftermath of the namesake accident, which took the lives of three children and left one missing. Daniela and Emiliano are forced to deal with the complicated feelings of losing their son but won’t stop searching for the real culprit of the accident. The other parents share the same feeling, which erupts into a deeper investigation that ends up shaking the whole local community.

The series was entirely filmed in Mexico, and its 10 episodes are all available for streaming exclusively on Netflix. Padrón was also responsible for The Marked Heart, another Netflix series that rose to popularity in 2022, resulting in a second season the following year. Sebastian Martínez, one of its leading actors, returns in The Accident as Emiliano, one of the potential culprits for the accident.

And that’s whether The Accident is based on a true story.

The Accident is streaming on Netflix.