Parents' Guide to

Narcos

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Brutally violent drug drama is terrific, not for kids.

TV Netflix Drama 2015
Narcos Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Narcos TV Show: Scene #1
  • Narcos TV Show: Scene #2
  • Narcos TV Show: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 12 parent reviews

Jill M.
Jill M. Adult
April 3, 2023
age 18+

Violence towards women and nudity

The constant nudity of women, which of course, is never needed! One scene using a gun for sexual purposes is horrific. Why would any show that has any respect for women have a scene like this! I was outraged!!
slushie87
slushie87 Adult
October 27, 2021
age 18+

Gang rape, not for the sensitive, +14 is a joke

My boyfriend has been suggested Narcos for a while and so I agreed even though drugs, gangs, violence is not really my thing. I thought Breaking Bad was superb, but this is something altogether different. Multibillionnaire Drug Lords do not get to become Multibillionnaire Drug Lords by being good people with morals who blanch at committing acts of extreme violence. This is fairly common sense so I don't know why I found the gang rape scene in episode 2 so shocking and upsetting. I already knew these people were not good people. I guess it just saddens me to see how often sexual assault is used as a plot device to further narrative, and how commonplace it is in movies and TV. Probably my own fault for expecting anything else from a show like this. But I would not want my 14 year old children to watch it and I'm quite shocked that that's what parents and kids seem to have agreed on for this show, 14+? I don't really think violent depictions of rape should be used as plot devices or as shorthand for 'just so you know, this character is REALLY evil'. I especially don't think children should be exposed to violent gang rape on TV in their formative years.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Cocaine was practically unknown in the United States in the early 1970s. By 1986, the drug had made such inroads into American society that the First Lady appeared on TV to tell everyone to "just say no" to drugs. What happened in between? Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura), the richest criminal in history, whose hundreds of billions of dollars were almost entirely made building the cocaine trade in America. NARCOS chronicles just how that happened, outlining in intricate detail how Escobar and his compatriots in the Medellin Cartel turned a small smuggling business into a billion-dollar operation. Meanwhile, intrepid DEA agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) stalks Escobar from afar. Escobar will be brought down, as history tells us -- but it's going to take a lot more out of Murphy, U.S. law enforcement, and Escobar himself than anyone ever planned.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (19 ):

Beautifully shot and with Swiss-watch timing, this (let's just say it) addictive drama on the drug trade is historically accurate, with the beats of a particularly mesmerizing thriller. Escobar emerges immediately as a man to be reckoned with: a thug, yes, but a sympathetic one with big, sad, puppy-dog eyes. He's nice to his wife (even if he's cheating on her with the Colombian anchorwoman who convinces him to get into politics) and respectful to his mom, and he even gives money to the poor. Is he so bad of a guy? As you watch Narcos, awestruck, as Escobar builds his empire on smuggling vehicles, hapless drug mules, bribes, threats, and murder, you soon realize yes -- yes, he is. You'll love watching him anyway.

Meanwhile, our hero (not much of a hero, he points out himself in the Goodfellas-esque narration), Agent Murphy, tries to unravel Escobar's schemes using the limited means available to him at the time, walking viewers through the finer points of snitches and drug busts and double agents and crooked cops. It's all mostly for nothing, he also points out; even though the Medellin Cartel was brought down, another cartel almost immediately took its place. But watching all the sound and the fury of the way it really happened is mesmerizing, in the grand drug-drama tradition of Breaking Bad and The Wire. One final note: Much of the action takes place in Spanish, with subtitles.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their experiences during the time period Narcos was set. Were you aware of the Colombian cocaine cartel? How?

  • Narcos includes many real-life news snippets and footage of real speeches. Does that add to the reality of the production? Does it make the show more believable?

  • How is the viewer supposed to relate to the character of Pablo Escobar? Is he sympathetic? A villain? A flawed hero?

TV Details

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