Narcosantos

This show is surprisingly good. I really love how they combined languages and ethnicity throughout the show. The casting is spot on i.e: if people talk English, they talk English, if they speak Korean they speak Korean. There are some shows that are actually supposed to be speaking Chinese or other languages, but they do that for 10 minutes and then switch to English to make it easier to follow. This is not one of those shows, and in my opinion it really adds to the authenticity of the overall atmosphere. The characters are well developed, and most importantly: it really is an engaging show. I really look forward to see more of it.

The story is loosely based on a real-life story. The story itself is absolutely fascinating, how a Korean criminal mastermind built a drug empire in Suriname and the efforts to bring down that empire. The acting for the most part is just outstanding, mixed with some cringeworthy acting by few minor characters. In addition, there are obvious plot holes and scenes that will make people shake their heads. Korean shows do a great job on most things, but they rarely deliver when guns are involved.

Anyways, as mentioned above, the fact that this is loosely based on real-life characters and events makes the show interesting enough. The show is only six episodes long, meaning there are very few unnecessary filler scenes. I do think it's worth the investment of 6+ hours for this show.

I think I watched half of this series with my eyes closed since I don't really like to watch violence, but I do like true stories so wanted to see it. Even with my eyes closed at some of the most violent scenes, the grotesque audio was enough to visualize in my head what was happening. The true story in itself is indicative of what really does go on out there, and unfortunately in this instance a private citizen unwittingly gets himself involved in a huge US DEA kingpin/drug bust operation because the Korean (lead male) went to the country innocently with his buddy to export/import some skate (seafood that looks like a stingray) which is a delicacy in Korea but gets thrown away in the South African country. They wind up getting getting caught in a scheme and getting involved in this operation when one of the investigation officials involves them w/o their knowledge with drugs on their boat. Of course they get caught and now they are in it for real. This was an operation that was reminiscent of the El Chapo bust. The characters were cast perfectly and the ending was satisfying.

Don't expect the original Narco's series level of production, but Saints was entertaining, and largely as it was based on a true story, held my interest. It gets more interesting as the episodes evolve, but good that it was kept to 6 episodes.

I could hear in the first couple of episodes particularly some strains of background music very reminiscent of the Narcos themes. Thought that was funny, but this ain't that series. If you go in expecting that you'll just be disappointed.

You'll also have to stretch sense of belief to a rather large degree as some action events are rather not quite realistic or believable, forget feasible.

But it's an intriguing story you might enjoy watching.

Once you pass the 1st episode which is a bit too long (but helpful to understand the main character's personality and motivation) the series gets better and better with a great finale which keeps you on the edge of your seat for 60 minutes. The 6 episodes format is perfect as it allows to develop the story enough while being crisp at the same time.

The story is well built and well paced, the acting very good - not surprising as the show features some top actors from the Korean movie.

Hwang Jung Min nails it as per usual in his role as the ruthless, devilish drug king and finds perfect chemistry with Ha Jung Woo who is equally impressive in this guy-next-door-turned-hero.

Great suspense and action, a must watch for fans of the genre!