Netflix just added a new French crime series called Bandi on April 9, 2026. The show comes from Eric Rochant, the same creator who made the famous series The Bureau. People are watching it fast and asking one big question: Is this a true story?
The quick answer is no. Bandi is not based on one real event or family. But the show feels very real because the makers worked hard to bring true stories from Martinique into the plot. The eight-episode series follows 11 brothers and sisters who lose their mother. Some of them turn to drug selling to keep the family together.
What is Bandi actually about?
The story takes place in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean. The Lafleur family has 11 children. Their mother Marilyn dies in a scooter accident on her way to work. The oldest kids try to take care of the younger ones. But money is very tight. Two brothers, Kingsley (played by Rodney Dijon) and Kylian (played by Djody Grimeau), choose different paths to survive. Kylian, who is only 16, has already become a drug lord named Milord. Kingsley starts with small thefts.
The show mixes family drama with crime. It shows how hard life can be in Martinique. The beautiful beaches you see in travel ads are not in this series. Instead, you see poor neighborhoods, daily struggles, and people trying to find a way out.
The real inspiration behind the series
Eric Rochant and his daughter Capucine Rochant created Bandi. Before writing any script, they did something unusual. They hired a local researcher named Khris Burton from Martinique. His job was to talk to people in the neighborhoods and collect their real stories.
Burton spoke with many locals. One story really stayed with him. He said:
“I had to go back to meet a childhood friend I knew. He had been my mentor when I was younger. I went to talk with him and found out he had become a boss in the housing project. He ended up calming things down after getting shot and going to prison. I did not know this. At first, Eric and Capucine thought it was too much. But then we met him, and he stayed true to himself. They understood the story was real.”
The Lafleur family does not exist in real life. But the show built this family using pieces from many real people and events from Martinique.
How the show used real Martinique life
The series wanted to show the real Martinique, not the tourist version. 100% of the filming happened in real locations. There were no studio sets. The crew filmed for 114 days, with 107 days on the island.
Local people played most of the roles. Out of 82 acting roles, 75 went to local Martinique actors. The main cast includes mostly first-time actors. Djody Grimeau, Rodney Dijon, Ambre Bozza, and Hay-Lee-Jah Caloc are all from the island.
The characters speak French and Creole. This mix of languages makes the show feel more real. The series is available in 17 dubbed languages and has subtitles in 32 languages for global viewers.
What Eric Rochant said about making the show
Eric Rochant looked at other crime shows for ideas. He told Broadcast International that he wanted to make a French version of Top Boy, the popular British series about drug selling in London.
“We wanted to see if it was possible to do a French Top Boy, a series about drug trafficking with a young cast, and decided to set it in Martinique. Top Boy meets Peaky Blinders meets Shameless. The creative challenge has been finding a balance between action and suspense and family emotion.”
The team also created a special writing school just for this show. New writers came to every planning session. They learned how to write for television while working on Bandi.
Fan reactions to the new series
People have started watching Bandi and sharing their thoughts online. Many are asking for a second season even though Netflix has not said yes yet.
One viewer wrote on X:
“I smoked it all in one go”
Another person said:
“I’ve changed my mind about Bandi in episode five! It’s a f*g masterpiece #bandi! Super congrats!”
On IMDb, a fan called it the “best series of the year” and wrote:
“The series is incredibly good, with a perfect balance between action and storytelling that really makes it stand out for me.”
Someone else posted:
“Series finished 8.5/10 just because we want the sequel!”
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Where you can watch Bandi right now
All 8 episodes of Bandi season 1 are available on Netflix. The show released worldwide on April 9, 2026. You can watch it in 90 countries. The series comes with English dubbing if you do not want to read subtitles.
Bandi is the first Netflix series filmed in Martinique. The show also hired local workers. About 60% of the 110 daily crew members came from Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana.
The series is not a true story. But it gives viewers a close look at real life in Martinique. The struggles of the Lafleur family come from many real stories that the research team collected on the island. For fans of crime dramas and family stories, this show offers something different from the usual Netflix series.
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