Netflix's 3-part crime thriller is Sicario meets House Of Cards

Published July 13, 2026, 7:01 a.m. EDT

Ben is a senior writer on Screen Rant’s New TV team. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a first class BA in English Literature and History.

Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and runs several projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book author and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider and other media outlets in various departments, including features, news, reviews and interviews.

Netflix has a great track record when it comes to crime and drama shows, but there is one incredible series that has yet to receive the attention it deserves. While Netflix dominates the true crime space with a never-ending stream of documentaries, biographical crime dramas, and dramatizations based on real events, they also excel at depicting largely fictional crime stories.

However, with the sheer number of new releases arriving on the platform, there are a handful of hidden gems that end up going unnoticed. One of these iconic series being a spin-off of the incredibly popular series Narcos series, Narcos: Mexico. While the original series takes place in Colombia and depicts the actions of drug lord Pablo Escobar, Narcos: Mexico moves the story to Mexico, exploring the front lines of drug trafficking as it crosses the border into the United States.

Narcos: Mexico is vastly underrated compared to the original series

Felix (Diego Luna) watching two men stare at each other in Narcos: Mexico.

Narcos quickly became one of the most famous and beloved crime dramas on Netflix in 2015, and the series continued to have a devoted following for much of its three seasons. Then, in the years following the end of the series, new fans discovered the series and joined the fanbase, thus contributing to the longevity of the show. However, not everyone knows that the series even had a spin-off.

In 2018, the year after Narcos came to its explosive conclusion, Narcos: Mexico expanded the story going back a little further in time in a completely new setting. The series continued for a total of three seasons, just like its predecessor, and eventually overlapped with the original series’ timeline. Unfortunately, as a spin-off, the series didn’t get as much attention as Narcos and ultimately ended up being an underrated part of the saga.

That being said, Narcos: Mexico works both as a standalone story, due to the earlier timeline and new setting, and as a complement to Narcosmaking it an ideal series for fans and newcomers alike. It’s thrilling, tense and incredibly cerebral with fascinating dialogue between well-developed characters that brings the narrative to life.

Narcos: Mexico delivers both crime and political thrills in one series

As Narcos, Narcos: Mexico is loosely based on real-life characters and events, while adding a significant amount of embellishment to make the story more consumable for a television format. With a focus on drugs, smuggling and other criminal acts, Narcos: Mexico offers plenty of crime dramas that keep fans of the genre on the edge of their seats, while also exploring a more thought-provoking political thriller side of the story.

In this way, the show combines the most fascinating aspects of shows like Sicariuswhere law enforcement takes on the drug cartel, and House of Cardsas corrupt politicians and governments support the drug trade and create a corrupt and broken system that ultimately endangers average citizens while supporting the most morally questionable and indefensible members of society. This is also what sets it apart Narcos.

While the previous series delves deep into its exploration of the drug cartel and embodies the best aspects of a crime thriller, the powers that be are not official leaders who have the responsibility to govern and support the people around them. In Narcos: Mexicothe lines blur, and the story absolutely benefits from these shades of gray that break up the black and white moral structure.

As much as Narcos was a remarkable series that launched the careers of incredible talents such as Wagner Moura and Pedro Pascal, Narcos: Mexico brought in more experienced talenthas refined a stunning and gripping story and delivered something that builds on the success of Narcos while improving many other elements, leading to a series that deserves far more recognition.