Netflix crime drama Narcos, which tells the harrowing and violent true story of Pablo Escobar's reign of terror, has been hailed as a masterpiece by fans and critics alike.
Escobar, one of the world's most feared criminals, was a drug lord and narcoterrorist who was gunned down as police tried to arrest him in 1993. His hold on popular culture, however, shows no sign of abating.
Escobar's rise and fall
The show, which helped to launch the career of Hollywood heavyweight Pedro Pascal, tells the story of Escobar's rise to prominence as the leader of one of Colombia's most feared cartels, the Medellin cartel, right up until his death aged 44.
Starting out in the 1970s, Escobar amassed a fortune worth billions and controlled a large percentage of the world's cocaine supply, reports Wales Online.
Narcos looks back right from the start in the first two series of the show, which launched in 2015, with Wagner Moura as Escobar and Pascal in one of his early roles as DEA agent Javier Pena.
Critical acclaim
Both audiences and critics were captivated by Narcos, with many calling it a television masterpiece, and it boasts an impressive 93 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
One critic said: "While Narcos isn't much for visual splendor -- it's filmed as a cut above your average basic cable-TV-true-crime documentary -- it has Moura's wonderful performance as its central image, one that will be what people remember about Narcos."
Another added: "At heart, it's a show about how the war on drugs works, and one that's at its gripping best when it embraces a macro view of the intertwined forces at play in the hunt for the notorious cocaine overlord."
While a third wrote: "Narcos' sophomore year is made infinitely more exciting by higher stakes, bigger moments and gut-wrenching deaths, all of which help set the bar absurdly high for any future installments of the series."
Viewer reactions
Meanwhile viewers also couldn't stop binge-watching the Netflix show. One wrote: "Awesome, couldn't stop watching. Binged season one and two over a weeks time! I'm going to miss all the chaos of Pablo Escobar!!!!! I love his character, however I will watch on. Can't wait to see where it goes in season 3!"
Another added: "Sensational! Wagner Moura is absolutely spectacular. Watched all episodes in one day... just couldn't stop."
And a third wrote: "We all know the story, but this dramatic portrayal of the downfall of Pablo Escobar is the best one available. Great acting."
Narcos is streaming now on Netflix.
