"Bad Boy": How Netflix's Teen Prison Show Became this Year's Most Important TV Series

When you hear "prison series," familiar series like Prison Break, Oz, or Orange Is the New Black immediately come to mind. However, Bad Boy, the Israeli drama that premiered globally on Netflix on May 2, 2025, breaks genre conventions and unveils a starkly different reality, the world of boys aged 12 to 18 growing up behind bars.

Within just two days of its Netflix debut, the series stormed the Top 10 in 30 countries worldwide, in yet another global success for Israeli content on the international stage.

The True Story Behind the Bars

Daniel Chen, one of Israel’s most brilliant comedians, brings his life story to the screen in a poignant drama that refuses to compromise.

At its heart is Dean, a talented 13-year-old boy arrested in the dead of night and thrown into an unimaginable reality. The first shock comes with a horrifying revelation: his mother may have turned him in to the police. From a detention facility in Abu Kabir, he is transferred to a youth prison, where he encounters an unwritten code, a rigid hierarchy, and daily violence.

The plot spans four years and three periods of incarceration, during which Dean meets characters who alter his life’s trajectory: a charismatic lifer who takes him under his wing but harbors dark secrets, a theater teacher who recognizes his untapped talent, and a group of boys struggling to survive the system, just like him. Through Dean’s eyes, we see a world of power dynamics, betrayals, and loyalties, where dark humor becomes a tool for survival in a harsh reality.

Twenty years later, Dean is a successful stand-up comedian desperate to keep his past a secret, a storyline that echoes Chen’s own life. The series follows Dean’s journey from a frightened child to a teenager who discovers his strength through storytelling and humor, while examining the heavy toll of life behind bars.

A Winning Creative Team

Hagar Ben-Asher and Ron Leshem are at the helm of this project. Ben-Asher, a director who once again proves her extraordinary ability to tell complex stories from within prison walls, previously explored the final days of death-row inmates in her film Dead Women Walking. Her transition to Bad Boy, which focuses on the beginnings of young lives in confinement, underscores her talent for uncovering human and emotional moments in the darkest places.

Ron Leshem, known for creating series like Euphoria and Valley of Tears, leads a writing team that includes prominent names such as Moshe Malka, Amit Cohen, and Daniel Amsel. Their collaboration delivers a layered, intricate script that blends personal drama with sharp social critique.

Actors Who Light Up the Darkness

The meticulously assembled cast shines brightly. Guy Menster, in his first dramatic role as Dean, surprises with a natural and powerful presence, navigating vulnerability and strength, humor and pain. Alongside him, precise casting includes Liraz Chamami (Maniac) Polish as the tough yet fair prison commander, Bat-Chen Sabag (Dumb) as the drama teacher, a role that intriguingly echoes her past as an aspiring actress, and a stellar ensemble featuring Daniel Chen himself, Habtamu Farada, and Netta Plotnik.

Academy Award Winner Conquers the World

Screened at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, Bad Boy was hailed as one of Israeli television’s greatest successes even before its Netflix debut. At the 2025 Israeli Academy Awards, it swept the major categories: Best Drama, Best Directing, and Best Screenplay.

Upon its global release on Netflix on May 2, Bad Boy gained massive international exposure, and its success was swift. Within days, the eight-episode Israeli series climbed the Top 10 in 30 countries, signaling its potential to become a global cultural phenomenon, much like other non-English series that have achieved worldwide acclaim.

Exposing a Hidden World

After watching the first three episodes, Daniel Chen’s personal story leaves a profound impact. There’s something piercing in how he exposes the reality of youth prison. Beyond the violence and fear, the series distills moments of dark humor and human survival. It sheds light on the dark side of a system that incarcerates 13-year-olds, reminding us that behind dry statistics lie entire lives.

Bad Boy is more than just another prison series; it’s a gripping work that delves into the souls of boys forced to grow up in impossible conditions, finding sparks of hope in the deepest darkness. With its global exposure on Netflix, the series promises to transform Chen’s personal story into a universal voice, resonating far beyond Israel’s borders.rtg4eh