After a long wait, Narcos: Mexico will finally be available for streaming on February 13th. What better way to prepare for Valentine's Day than by watching drug dealers scheme, backstab and whack each other? Make no mistake. Narcos: Mexico is brilliant. The Netflix show is a spinoff of Narcos which focussed on the Colombian drug trade. The first season was released in late 2018 so it's been a while.
In Narcos: Mexico Diego Luna plays Miguel Felix Gallardo, the popular head of the Guadalajara Cartel. Back in the 80s, while Escobar was causing havoc, Miguel was busy building his empire in Mexic. He managed to unite all the cartels and installed himself as their leader hence earning the name El Padrino (The Godfather). Since there are still a few more weeks before Narcos: Mexico drops, here are a few movies about cartels that might impress you as well.
Maria Full Of Grace (2004)
Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno was nominated for the Best Actress at the 2004 Academy Awards for her role in Maria Full of Grace. She stars as a Colombian teenage girl called Maria Alvarez who joins the world of drug trafficking after learning just how brilliant the perks are.
She is tasked with transporting drugs to the US by swallowing small sachets before boarding planes. However, she ends up making a mega mistake that isn't taken too kindly by the drug lords. Maria Full Of Grace shows how desperation can drive people to make the most regrettable decisions.
The Last Stand (2013)
This is a highly underrated Schwarzenneger movie. It just came several years too late. If it was released in the 80s and 90s, it would have been a major hit. The Last Stand has better action scenes than even popular Schwarzenneger films like Commando and True Lies. Other stars like Forest Whitaker and Luis Guzman from Narcos are present too.
So, what is it about? Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) quits the narcotics department of the LAPD after an operation that didn't go particularly well. He moves to the border town of Sommerton Junction where he is content with solving petty crimes. However, his peaceful life is soon soiled when a notorious drug kingpin known as Gabriel Cortez escapes from FBI custody and enters the town.
Traffic (2000)
Traffic won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2000 Academy Awards. It was also been nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Supporting Actor for the amazing Benicio del Toro. It was also directed by Steven Soderbergh (known for Oceans Eleven and Logan Lucky).
Del Toro stars as a clean Mexican cop called Javier Rodriguez, who has dedicated his life to bringing down the key members of a Tijuana cartel. The violence is as intense as it gets in films like this. People die every few minutes because that's what happens during the war on drugs. A couple of other stars like Michael Douglas) and Catherine Zeta-Jones have supporting roles.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem who played one of the most memorable Bond villains in Skyfall stars here as a cartel enforcer called Chigurh. Josh Brolin, better known for his role as Thanos, stars as a cowboy called Llewelyn Moss. No Country For Old Men won 79 awards out of the 109 it had been nominated for across several award organizations.
In the film, Chigurh is tasked with tracking down Moss who has stumbled upon a suitcase full of dollars from a drug deal that has gone bad. The two thus engage in a cat and mouse game. Be guaranteed that you won't find a boring moment in this film. But that shouldn't come as a surprise since it was directed by the Cohen brothers.
Sicario (2015)
The sequel was definitely forgettable but this first film in the franchise was a cartel classic. In it, Emily Blunt stars as an FBI agent who is chosen to be part of an elite government task force that's aimed at taking down the leader of a Mexican cartel. Del Toro plays the leader of the team.
Sicario was so accurate that the Mayor of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico urged people to boycott it. Ironically, the Mayor's name was Enrique Serrano Escobar. Ummm... Well... Okay. Luckily, no one boycotted it. Who wants to take orders from a bootleg Escobar anyway.
Blow (2001)
A great film that was made when Johnny Depp's career was on a meteoric rise. Here, Depp plays George Jung, the king of drug trafficking. Blow chronicles his life from his childhood days in Boston to his most active years on the west coast. Ray Liotta—'the man who always wanted to be a gangster'—plays George's father.
Unsatisfied with life at home, George moves to California in the late '60s. There he gets involved in the Marijuana business. Soon, he makes friends with a man called Diego who gives him the idea of becoming the American supplier of cocaine for none other than Pablo Escobar. From there, his life becomes a bit too complicated than he imagines.
Miss Bala (2011)
Before Spanish language films became popular all over the world, movies like Miss Bala were already redefining cinema. There is a 2019 remake of this movie. Why so soon? Don't watch it. The original is way much better. This is clearly evident from the fact that the remake has a score of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes while this original one has 89%.
Miss Bala follows Laura, who wants to become a top model but finds herself at crossroads with a dangerous cartel after witnessing some hits. She goes on to win a major beauty contest but her encounters with the cartel leave her feeling more sadness than joy.
Savages (2012)
One thing that stands out about this film is the cinematography and choice of scenery. Everything looks like paradise. But make no mistake, Savages is a very violent film. John Travolta makes a cameo too on a minor role. Hurray to washed out 90s action stars.
In Savages, two friends, one a peaceful Buddhist and the other a retired Navy SEAL are running a successful business that involves growing and selling the highest quality marijuana in America. They are also both in love with a beauty called Ophelia so they decide to share her. What? Okay. Things go well for them before Mexican Baja Cartel learns about their operation and demands a partnership.
American Made (2017)
Are you used to seeing Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible? Get ready for something new. Here he is a CIA pilot who decides to get himself in the business of smuggling cocaine from South America to the US. These missions are very possible for him because he is very good at what he does.
Soon, he becomes the smuggler for Escobar's Medellin cartel. However, he gets on the radar of the DEA who eventually coerce him to become an informant. Of course, snitches get stitches so he eventually ends up dead. But this isn't before he has the most insane adventures.
Desperado (1995)
Desperado was Antonio Banderas at his prime. Lately, he has enjoyed a career resurgence with films such as Pain And Glory and the spectacular series Genius: Picasso. But back in the 90s, there was no doubt about his star power. Can we get another Zorro film by the way? It's been too long.
In Desperado, a mysterious man called "El Mariachi" is seeking to avenge the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a narcotics smuggler called Bucho. Danny Trejo stars as one of Bucho's henchmen. And who can forget the cameo by Quentin Tarantino? The film also has a brilliant opening scene where Banderas sings the popular Mexican folk song Cancion Del Mariachi.