That is the premise of Facing El Chapo, the Mexican crime-action film landing on Netflix in Ireland later this month, and, perhaps most unsettling of all, it is inspired by true events. Facing El Chapo, also known as La captura, is a Netflix Original that dramatises a chance encounter with cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the most notorious criminals of the modern era. When is Facing El Chapo on Netflix in Ireland? Facing El Chapo arrives on Netflix on 21 August 2026, and Irish viewers will be able to stream it on Netflix IE from that date, in line with the film's global release. Behind the camera, Facing El Chapo is directed by Chava Cartas, who previously made Our Times, and written by Bernardo Esquinca, the author behind Pray for Blood.