Narcos
Narcos ran for 3 seasons from 2015 to 2017 on Netflix and was based on true stories of the origin of the Colombian cocaine trade, first with Pablo Escobar and then the Cali Cartel. It is one of Netflix’s greatest shows. Here are a few other shows like Narcos you may have missed that we think you may like.
Shows Like Narcos – Narcos Mexico
Narcos Mexico ran for 3 seasons on Netflix from 2018 to 2021. While it has “Narcos” in the name, it is a different show with a different main cast aside from some cameo appearances. It centers on the origins of the marijuana trade and later cocaine in Mexico as well as the death of DEA agent Kiki Camarena. It was just as good as the original Narcos.
Like Narcos, Narcos Mexico is based on true stories, action packed, violent and entertaining.
We liked this show a lot and believe you will too if you liked Narcos.
See streaming options at Narcos Mexico.
Shows Like Narcos – Griselda
Griselda had one season as a limited series on Netflix in 2024. The show is based on the true story of Griselda Blanco played by Sofia Vergara. Griselda was originally from Medellin, Colombia and reports suggest she crossed paths with Pablo Escobar. She built a cocaine business in Miami in the 1970s and beyond.
Griselda is entertaining but takes major liberties with Griselda’s real story and is not close to historically accurate. The six episodes are not enough, as the story’s timeline makes several time jumps without much explanation of what happened in between. Overall the storyline is disjointed.
We enjoyed Griselda despite its shortcomings. If you liked Narcos, we think you will like Griselda.
See streaming options at Griselda.
Show a Little Like Narcos – Hightown
Hightown ran for 3 seasons on Starz from 2020 through 2024. It is like Narcos in that it focuses on drug trafficking and murder. Unlike Narcos, it is purely fictional and has no connection to international cartels, be it Colombia or Mexico. It takes place on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. One of the highlights of the show is the opening theme, which is a remake of The Gogos hit “Vacation” by The Textones.
This show is not as similar to Narcos as the above two recommendations, but we include it here because of its focus on drug trafficking, and murder investigations.
See streaming options at Hightown.
Shows Like Narcos – Queen of the South
Queen of the South ran for 5 seasons on USA Network from 2016 to 2021. It follows Teresa Mendoza, who works her way up from being poor in Mexico to international drug kingpin. Full disclosure: this is a “guilty pleasure” show with ridiculous storylines and overacting that makes it play like a soap opera or telenovela. We watched this before Griselda and one of our first observations of Griselda was that it was a real life Queen of the South, which is purely fictional.
We enjoyed this show but when you watch it, just be amused with its ridiculous plot.
See streaming options at Queen of the South.
These are four shows like Narcos we think you will like.
Want to see shows like The Sopranos? See our post at The Sopranos.
