From Narcos to Sicario: These 8 dramas on drug cartels have ruled TV and big screen

Clashes erupted across Mexico after the army carried out an operation that killed drug lord El Mencho on Sunday, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). As per the statement issued by the Indian embassy in Mexico city, all Indian nationals in the country have been advised to seek shelter and avoid large crowds.

Crime dramas based on drug trafficking and cartels offer a complex and gritty peek into the underbelly of crime and power. Who were these people and how did they impact so many lives? The best of these fictionalised accounts do not offer easy answers, but invite the viewer to see the world from a different perspective. Check out some of out a few realistic and gritty dramas that come quite close to real life:

The masterful 2015 film stars Emily Blunt as an idealistic FBI agent who joins a CIA-led task force to fight cartel drug trafficking, only to find herself in a high-stakes operation. It also stars Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin.

Where to watch: Lionsgate Play

The iconic crime drama starring Al Pacino charts the rise-and-fall story of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who becomes the biggest drug smuggler in Miami, and is eventually undone by his own drug addiction.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

The crime drama for which Steven Soderbergh won a Best Director Oscar tells three interconnected stories set in the world of drug trafficking. It follows a drug czar (Michael Douglas) who is unaware that his own daughter is an addict, an honest Mexican police officer (Benicio Del Toro), and a pregnant woman (Catherine Zeta-Jones) taking over her husband’s drug business.

Where to watch: JioHotstar

The acclaimed biographical crime drama, directed by Ted Demme, chronicles the life of George Jung (played by Johnny Depp). The film charts the journey of how Jung, along with the Medellín Cartel headed by Pablo Escobar, established the American cocaine market in the 1970s in the United States.

Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, is inarguably one of the greatest characters in modern Television. Chances are, even if you haven’t seen the show, this name has already appeared somewhere in pop culture.

The highly acclaimed series revolves around a chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student to secure his family’s future

Where to watch: Netflix

Based on true events, the highly popular show charts the rise and fall of drug kingpins Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. It chronicles the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the gripping real-life stories of drug kingpins of the late ’80s. It stars Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar, along with Pedro Pascal as Javier Peña.

Where to watch: Netflix

The limited series is inspired by the true story of the titular Colombian ‘Godmother of Cocaine,’ played by Sofia Vergara. The show charts the journey of a devoted mother who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. As the series dramatises, her lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her to navigate between the worlds of underground business and family.

Where to watch: Netflix

This Emmy-winning drama series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner who relocates his family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Ozarks. With wife Wendy and their two kids in tow, Marty is on the move after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe. While the Byrdes’ fate hangs in the balance, the dire circumstances force the fractured family to reconnect.

Where to watch: Netflix