Netflix viewers divided over bouncy castle tragedy drama “The Accident”

A viral scene from the new series divides Netflix viewersThe accident It depicts a tragedy in which three children die when they are swept away by strong winds in a bouncy castle.

In the series, Sebastian Martinez plays Emiliano, a businessman who takes a phone call instead of properly securing the bouncy castle to the ground, which causes it to blow away in strong winds. The Mexican series recorded over 76.6 million viewing hours last week, according to ScreenCrush.

The streaming service has touted the show as a “fictional” story, but viewers have drawn comparisons to the real-life Hillcrest tragedy, in which six children were killed after a strikingly similar incident in Australia.

Knowing that the show was fictional, many joked about the show's premise and the likelihood of children getting blown away in the inflatable. However, Netflix said the plot was based on something that happens regularly.

“As unbelievable as it may sound, bouncy castles can and have flown away, much to the dismay of the parents involved,” the streamer wrote on an information page about the show.

“The party highlight for children takes off at winds of 24 km/h. According to the American Meteorological Society, wind-related bouncy castle accidents have resulted in at least 28 deaths and 479 injuries between 2000 and 2021.”

One person with a dark sense of humor wrote: “I laughed so hard I cried because I just started the second most popular series on Netflix, which The accident and they spend 20 minutes preparing for the tragic event, which was a child's birthday party when it got very windy and a bouncy castle full of children flew away.”

Another added: “This is even funnier than I imagined,” adding a balloon emoji.

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Others, however, were less impressed, writing: “It does happen, but it definitely doesn't help people take these accidents seriously.”

“In December 2021, six children were killed in Devonport, Tasmania. Many Australians do not find this funny,” wrote another.

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Some clearly considered the disconnect between the tragedy portrayed in the fiction-based series and its film adaptation, writing, “We know it happens. This dramatization is just hilariously poor quality.”

Others were incredibly moved by the show, calling it “the saddest show I have ever seen in my life.”