A decade after first arriving on Netflix, Narcos remains one of the streaming service’s most acclaimed crime dramas, taking viewers deep inside the violent rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The series, which premiered in 2015, traces Escobar’s transformation from an emerging criminal figure in the 1970s into the billionaire leader of the Medellín Cartel. At the height of his power, he controlled a significant share of the global cocaine trade and became one of the world’s most feared drug traffickers and narcoterrorists.
Escobar’s story ended in 1993, when he was shot and killed as authorities attempted to capture him. He was 44.
But Narcos does more than simply recount the life of its notorious central figure. The drama examines the wider battle between drug cartels, Colombian authorities and American law enforcement — with increasingly devastating consequences.
Wagner Moura transforms into Pablo Escobar
Brazilian actor Wagner Moura takes on the role of Escobar during the first two seasons, charting his extraordinary accumulation of wealth and power through to his eventual downfall.
Alongside him is Pedro Pascal as DEA agent Javier Peña, one of the American agents involved in the effort to dismantle Escobar’s criminal empire.
The role came years before Pascal became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and remains one of the performances that helped introduce him to a much wider international audience.
After Escobar’s story concludes, Narcos continues into a third season exploring another chapter of Colombia’s drug trade.
Critics hailed Narcos as gripping television
The drama became a major success with both audiences and critics and currently holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Moura’s performance received particular praise, with one critic arguing that his portrayal of Escobar would become the defining image viewers remembered from the series.
Another praised the show for looking beyond one individual and examining the broader mechanics of the war on drugs, describing Narcos as most compelling when it explores the interconnected forces surrounding the hunt for Escobar.
Season 2 also earned praise for dramatically raising the stakes as Escobar’s story moved towards its violent conclusion. One critic highlighted its bigger moments and “gut-wrenching deaths,” arguing that the season established an exceptionally high standard for what followed.
Viewers say they ‘couldn’t stop watching’
Fans have been equally enthusiastic about the series, with several admitting that Narcos quickly turned into an addictive binge.
One viewer said they finished the first two seasons within a week and were eager to continue into Season 3.
Another had an even more intense viewing experience, writing: “Sensational! Wagner Moura is absolutely spectacular. Watched all episodes in one day… just couldn’t stop.”
A third praised the series despite already knowing how Escobar’s story would ultimately end.
“We all know the story, but this dramatic portrayal of the downfall of Pablo Escobar is the best one available,” the viewer wrote, also highlighting the strength of the acting.
Nearly a decade after its debut, Narcos continues to stand out as one of Netflix’s defining crime dramas — combining real historical events with a tense depiction of the extraordinary violence, power and corruption surrounding Pablo Escobar and Colombia’s drug trade.
Narcos is streaming now on Netflix.