Narcos: Meksyk

Narcos: Meksyk (2018) 

Felix Gallardo may feel like a poor relative and schoolboy of real narco- sunroofs by a pool with hippos in Colombia, but this parallel history lesson (or a bridge between the 3rd and 4th series?) can look straight into the eyes of the past three seasons. It does not lose out qualitatively. Yes, contemporary Mexico and Felix as a drug addict are somewhat more run-of-the-mill than Pablo and the gentlemen from Cali, but that is the strength of the series. It flows slowly, unobtrusively, sometimes just by varying familiar situations, but giving them an interesting measuring scale, a disturbing undertone that stands out all the more when you know the current testimonies about the state of affairs. For example, Heli Amata Escalante, who directed the great fifth episode and underlined Netflix's courage to hire art directors with a very radical CV. The second example - the excellent retro beauty rides of the seventh and eighth episodes, which the outlaid Mexican formalist Alfonso Ruizpalacios directed. The sense for detail and atmosphere of these episodes is as exceptional as the creators' feeling for type casting. The transformations of the main characters and the constant influx of interesting supporting characters elevate Narcos amongst the elite. Mexicans can feel at home here, even though the peak of the series, combined with another excellently chosen protagonist, Kim, comes between episodes nine and ten. I can't help but be excited about drug addiction again. The one where benevolent killer Don Neto rises especially breaks the heart. (21.11.2018)