Amsterdam Narcos

Just finished Amsterdam Narcos and wow. The old footage gave it real weight and showed the history behind everything, not just the present. The people they found spoke with such honesty, which you don't normally get in docs like this. And the way Amsterdam was filmed made the city look gorgeous but also dangerous, showing both sides at once.

What A Fascinating Topic, Told with a Whimper!

Amsterdam Narcos kicks off with an episode that has all the ingredients for a truly compelling story, but never quite manages to light the fuse. The premise - how a city's tolerance for soft drugs created a breeding ground for violent crime - is explosive, yet the documentary delivers it with an oddly detached feel.

It's watchable, for sure, providing a factual and comprehensive look at the historical context. The interviews with former traffickers and police offer some insight, but they rarely generate the tension or drama you'd hope for. This episode feels more like a history lesson than a captivating true-crime thriller.

It's a documentary that's easy to start but just as easy to walk away from, making it unlikely to be a top priority for anyone's viewing list. I can't say I'm coming back for the second episode.

What really blew me away about Amsterdam Narcos was how they managed to actually find and convince people from that world to talk. On top of that, the cinematography was stunning. Hearing directly from the people living it, paired with the way it was filmed, made the whole thing raw, authentic, and unforgettable.