6 Best Drug Cartel and Narco Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 7, 2026

The drug trade’s violence and corruption have inspired some of crime cinema’s most brutal and morally complex epics. In Scarface (1983): A Cuban refugee’s ruthless rise through Miami’s cocaine trade consumes everything he loves. Don’t overlook Traffic (2000): The drug trade’s impact is traced across interconnected stories of dealers, addicts, and law enforcement.

A Man of Integrity (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A farmer's refusal to pay bribes to a corrupt local company draws him into a dangerous conflict.

Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof · 1h 57m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Miss Bala (2019)

TMDB ★ 5.3

A beauty pageant contestant is coerced into working for a dangerous drug cartel after witnessing a shooting.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke · 1h 44m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sicario (2015)

TMDB ★ 7.6

An FBI agent is drawn into a covert task force's brutal, morally ambiguous war against drug cartels.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 02m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to escape poverty, risking everything for quick money.

Directed by Joshua Marston · 1h 41m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Traffic (2000)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 93% Metacritic 86

The drug trade's impact is traced across interconnected stories of dealers, addicts, and law enforcement.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 2h 27m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars73 wins & 86 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Scarface (1983)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 77% Metacritic 65

A Cuban refugee's ruthless rise through Miami's cocaine trade consumes everything he loves.

Directed by Brian De Palma · 2h 50m · Rated R

8 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Drug Cartel and Narco Movies

A Man of Integrity (2017)

Miss Bala (2019)

Sicario (2015)

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Traffic (2000)

Scarface (1983)

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