Composer:
Pedro BromfmanCast:
Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Paulina Gaitan, Alberto Ammann, Raúl Méndez, Paulina García, Matias Varela, Diego Cataño, Julian Diaz (more)VOD (1)
Seasons(3) / Episodes(30)
Plots(1)
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. (official distributor synopsis)
Videos (8)
Reviews (12)
I guess, you will not find out what the problem (or more precisely the unpleasant snag) of this series is… It has two central lines. Drug dealers "South American" Spanish-speaking lines that is focused on the late career of the patron of the Medellin cartel Pablo Escobar (fantastic, respectful and, Mour that does not overplay at all), which is full of intrigue, tension, well built and adhering to genre specifics, without however, deviating significantly from reality (after all, there is no reason for that, because even the reality was sometimes hard to believe). The second DEA "North American" English-speaking story line is way too much procedural, addressing the details of the investigation (both agents were actively involved in the development of the series) and the hunt for the drug lord, who was one of the richest/most dangerous people of his time. You already know what the snag is, right? Yes, each story line is completely (but really completely) different. It cannot be said that one is better or worse than the other one, because their style, atmosphere and concept are so different that they are simply incompatible in many respects. In addition, there is a third component in the form of very frequent documentary sequences that are like a radio broadcast and are accompanied by archival then footage. Although each of the components works great independently and there is nothing to complain about (perhaps it just looks like each agency is represented only by one person), they do not fit together and do not form a coherent whole. Which, given their qualities, is rather a letdown. And it is even a bigger letdown since it has already been shown that these seemingly incompatible approaches to this topic can still be successfully combined (I mean Don Winslow). In other words, it is a disappointment, but it is certainly not something that would change the indisputable fact that Narcos has become one of the top shows in contemporary quality TV.
()
For me, probably the fifth failure in the field of universally acclaimed drama series. One is almost inclined to wonder whether the fault really lies with the works themselves, but those who know me know that it simply couldn’t be any other way. At the very least, Narcos surprised me at how all ten episodes manage to consistently feel like the prologue to something that never comes. Time jumps, disconnected scenes, the constant introduction of new characters that more than once we meet and bit farewell to within ten minutes of a single episode, stingy one-take sequences, and a terrible, unbelievably awful voice over from one of the protagonists. The latter is itself part of what is clearly the most unbearable aspect of the series, namely the storyline involving the American police officers (whose real-life inspirations were actively involved in the making of the series – aha). This pair of hard-boiled cops with their ironic smirks, six fingers of American whiskey in coffee mugs, porn, and tough guy comments in comically badass American accents come across as the work of an eight-year-old Clint Eastwood fan and reliably bury any scene, especially when compared to Wagner Moura's focused and charismatic performance as their antagonist. Beyond that, I still couldn't get past the form, which most of all resembles a dramatized documentary; some scenes are downright sloppy (the urban exteriors often feel like the unacknowledged result of guerrilla filmmaking), and the series never comes close to a sequence as well-constructed as the opening bar shootout during the first season. If this is the 3rd highest rated series here, that takes a lot of wind out of my sails.
()
Character-driven, elaborate, personal, authentic, raw. A spectacular drug saga charting the 1980s and 90s in countries that were drug havens. A brilliant mix of semi-documentary and fiction. A little loose at times, of course, due to the number of episodes, but still dwarfing most of the competition in terms of content.
()
In the field of organized crime, there were many important players, but only one was the king. A man who declared war on his own country, but also the only private individual who ever challenged the United States of America to a duel. A man who, at the height of his fame, earned 5 billion dollars a year, and owned a private army including an air force and navy. A man who created a state within a state and paid a significant portion of state institutions. Pablo Escobar became a legend even during his lifetime. I remember that even behind the Iron Curtain in the 80s, fragmentary information about his exploits reached us. And although we lived with different problems on a different continent, Escobar was simply an unmistakable figure on a global scale. The most significant drug producer and dealer, a man who aspired to become the Colombian president, a megalomaniac, and a completely ruthless brutal murderer. Narcos is an exceptionally interesting work primarily because of the material it deals with. The life stories of Pablo Escobar and other members of the Medellín Cartel would be enough for several seasons of a TV series, and there would still be plenty to tell. This is actually the biggest problem with the series. It is too concise, and the majority of the characters remain at the level of figures. For me, the best series about organized crime remains Boardwalk Empire (although I haven't seen The Wire yet). Wagner Moura enjoys playing the role of Pablo Escobar, and José Padilha's direction is reliable and he feels right at home in the genre. The series has a significance for Latin America that we fully cannot realize in Europe. Pablo Escobar was loved and admired by the masses regardless of the number of dead bodies he left behind. He simply had the reputation of a man of the people and a bandit who distributed his wealth to the poor. The series ruthlessly breaks this perception and portrays Pablo Escobar as a destroyer of his country and society, which he systematically undermined with his activities. It is quite telling that his attacks, which targeted the general public, remained without a response, and the reaction of the political elite only came when he attacked high society. The poorer classes suffered the most from his terror. At the same time, the series also shows that Escobar was able to build his empire at a time when the United States was preoccupied with the Cold War. Once the rivalry with the Soviet Union ceased, the cartel began to decline rapidly, because the potential that was previously tied to the fight against communism could now be directed elsewhere. Overall impression: 90%.
()
I've been putting off the series for maybe half a year, but thanks to the current film shortage I've gone full steam ahead and I don't regret a second of the time I spent on it. Pablo Escobar is a someone who has earned my respect and it's definitely good to know how things worked in Colombia at the time. Highlights: the detailed instructions on how to make cocaine, the presidential election, and his own prison. Very good, interesting, engaging and decently gritty. 95%
()
Gallery (503)
Photo © Netflix
![Narcos - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/164/151/164151582_c30d0e.jpg)
Ads