Loved Griselda? Three more crime shows you need to watch
Three hot shows about dangerous drug traffickers for your attention...
Griselda is the most popular Netflix show of the moment, finally dethroning Harlan Coben adaptation Fool Me Once.
But if you’ve already downed the short 6-episode season, there’s good news. Griselda was heavily inspired some existing shows. There’s no need to take a break from the drug running action just yet.
We have three shows, all streaming on Netflix, that can give you a fix.
1. Narcos (2015-2017)
The first of these is Narcos, a show some call Griselda a sort-of spiritual successor to, or spinoff of.
Why? Both shows were written by Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro. In fact, Narcos reportedly almost featured Griselda as a character — she didn’t appear, in the end.
If you’re coming to Narcos fresh you may also be surprised to see Hollywood mega-star Pedro Pascal plays a lead role.
The first season of Narcos was released all the way back in 2015, long before his starring roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian.
Narcos received an even more positive critical reception than Griselda, and at this point is a true classic of the Netflix back catalogue.
It looks at the drug empire of Pablo Escobar, played by Wagner Moura. There are three seasons of the show. And, if you dig it, there’s also a spin-off: the three season run of Narcos: Mexico.
Of course, if you were particularly drawn in by Griselda, the focus on a female character rather than the spotlight-hogging men of the drug world may have been a factor.
And to scratch more of that itch, you’ll want to check out our second recommendation.
2. Queen of the South (2016-2021)
Queen of the South charts the life of Teresa Mendoza. Her drug runner boyfriend is killed, forcing her to flee Mexico. Starting a new life in the US, she builds her own drug empire.
It’s less gritty than Narcos, but as such arguably gets closer to the feel of Griselda. Alice Braga stars as Mendoza, and you may recognise her from her roles in Elysium or A Murder at the End of the World.
Queen of the South is not based directly on real figures, instead adapted from a novel of the same name by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. However, the character was inspired by Sandra Ávila Beltrán, a cartel figure dubbed Queen of the Pacific.
There are five seasons of Queen of the South. And while fans typically say season 2 is the highlight, there’s no major dud in the entire run.
3. Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (2021)
Our final suggestion is a little different. Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings go Miami is a TV series that looks into the rise of two drug lords, Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon.
The show’s six episodes span decades, from the pair’s early years, through the height of their drug trafficking, their arrest and trial.
We get to hear from all sides, including law enforcement. If you’re up for seeing a drug story told through talking heads rather than dramatisation, it’s absolutely worth a watch.
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami is directed by Billy Corben, who has masses of experience in this area. All the way back in 2006 he made the original Cocaine Cowboys documentary, which again looked into the Miami drug scene back in the 1970s.
