Sayak Basu
Amazon Prime is the only streaming platform in the world which can come close to challenging Netflix in terms of the variety of content on offer. While Netflix has given us some rather brilliant shows on drug smuggling like ‘Narcos’ and ‘El Chapo’, Amazon has also come out with its own series about the international trade of coke- ‘ZeroZeroZero’.
Based on a book by Roberto Saviano, this action crime-drama takes us across three continents, explaining in vivid detail how an international network of smugglers works. If you have enjoyed watching ‘ZeroZeroZero’, here are some other similar shows you might want to check out. You can watch several of these shows like ZeroZeroZero on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. Queen Of The South (2016-)
This USA Network original series centers around a woman called Teresa who secretly enters the United States after her boyfriend, a drug smuggler, is killed by his rivals. Teresa ends up building a huge drug empire himself and becomes one of the most feared and influential smugglers in the United States. The show maintains a wonderful balance between action and dramatic scenes, and this is what helps keep the audiences engaged with the narrative.
6. Drugs Inc. (2010-)
Although a docuseries, ‘Drugs Inc.’ should be on a list about some of the best drug trafficking shows ever. This Nat Geo series chronicles the international narcotics trade quite extensively, looking into the businesses built around marijuana, cocaine, meth, and such popular drugs. We also get to hear from people who are involved in the business in one way or another, like peddlers, law enforcement agents, and even medical personnel who explain to us the dangers of consuming such drugs.
5. The Wire (2002-2008)
One of the best shows of the 2000s, ‘The Wire’ is an anthology series where each season deals with one specific form of crime in the city of Baltimore. Season 1 of the series centers around the drug trade in the city and shows us how little children to adults living in the Baltimore projects were all involved in drug-dealing in one form or another. The show is based on real-life incidents and might feel a bit verbose towards the beginning. But as soon as you are done watching a couple of episodes, you will realize that you are in for a real treat.
4. El Chapo (2017-2018)
A Netflix original series, ‘El Chapo‘ is the story of one of the most feared drug smugglers in history- Joaquin Guzman. Having started his career in the trade as a low-level enforcer for the Guadalajara cartel, Guzman slowly rose up the ranks and eventually formed the Sinaloa cartel. His affinity for violence made him a force to be reckoned with. The series covers Guzman’s rise and fall through its three seasons. Close attention to detail and high production value has made this series a favorite among Netflix subscribers throughout the world.
3. Narcos: Mexico (2018-)
Netflix has quite extensively covered the drug smuggling scene of Latin American countries and their series ‘Narcos: Mexico‘ covers the rise and fall of one of the biggest and most influential smuggling rackets of the region- the Guadalajara cartel, which was founded by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. In this series, we see how Gallardo starts with cultivating and smuggling weed into America and then takes up the work of transporting cocaine made by the Colombian cartels into the country. The most outstanding aspect of this series is undoubtedly the brilliant performance by Diego Luna as Felix Gallardo. His suave screen presence, coupled with the perfect pacing of the narrative makes ‘Narcos: Mexico’ one of the best shows about drug trafficking to come out in recent years.
2. Farina (2018)
Also known as ‘Cocaine Coast‘, ‘Farina’ is a TV series which tells the story of Sito Miñanco, a Spanish fisherman who is quite skilled when it comes to driving speedboats. He enlists himself as a driver for a tobacco smuggling gang at first and then starts a smuggling network of his own with the help of two friends. When their parent organization refuses to smuggle in hashish, Sito and his friends start an independent operation, and even plan on smuggling cocaine into Europe. With some brilliant performances and impeccable cinematography, this is a show you do not want to miss out on.
1. Narcos (2015-2017)
There is no other series on drug smuggling which has had as deep an impact on popular culture as ‘Narcos‘. The series takes us into the heart of the production and distribution of cocaine by Colombian cartels, with the first two seasons mainly concentrating on the operations of the Medellin cartel lead by the fearsome Pablo Escobar. The third season of the series takes us through the rise and fall of the second-most influential Colombian cartel- Cali. Brazilian actor Wagner Moura here delivers one of the best television performances of the past decade as Escobar.
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