Streaming service Netflix aims to expand into 200 countries in 2016, and their latest original series Narcos, set to drop in the US today, is one to keep an eye on. Led by executive producer and director José Padilha (RoboCop), the series tracks the rise and fall of Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and the bloodthirsty drug war waged between the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Colombia’s notorious MedellÃn Cartel.
A stylistic blend of The Wire and Goodfellas, the series touches on Escobar’s sordid beginnings on his long and often complicated path to becoming one of history’s wealthiest and deadliest criminals. Featuring Wagner Moura (Elysium) as Pablo Escobar and with a rapid pace to match the unapologetically ruthless depiction of how Escobar turned cocaine trafficking into a $50 billion-a-year industry, the 10-episode first season is eminently watchable.
We’ve seen many takes on Escobar and his infamous MedellÃn Cartel, but Narcos looks set to be one of the best yet and is shaping up as Netflix’s next great show.
