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Beyond Matteo Messina: The best series about the mafia and organized crime

Beyond Matteo Messina: The best series about the mafia and organized crime
Pedro Domínguez

Pedro Domínguez

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With the arrest of Matteo Messina, the head of Cosa Nostra, the mafia is once again a hot topic in the media and networks. Although it is true that their influence in our society has waned in recent years, various ex-mafiosos such as Sammy Gravano are in charge of reminding us that criminal organizations of a mafia nature are still present today.

Organizations responsible for the most abject crimes that, nevertheless, arouse great interest in the mass public due to the drama surrounding them. Honor, betrayal, loyalty, rules and crime. Ingredients that, if well combined, can give rise to audiovisual productions that capture the public’s attention like few others. If you are interested in this topic, below we show you which are the best mafia series to watch in streaming.

The Sopranos

The 2000s were a time when the big-budget series-making machine went into overdrive. In addition to giving us series that continue to give us something to talk about to this day, such as Lost, it was also the time when The Sopranos gave a strong blow on the table to say “here I am”.

The series starring Tony Soprano, characterized by a spectacular James Gandolfini, deals with the problems that the mafia boss lives both in the organization he runs and in his own home. The series is considered one of the most successful in the history of television, and only its list of awards (including 5 Golden Globes and 21 Emmy Awards) would give to write another series.

You can watch it on HBO Max.

HBO Max DOWNLOAD
9

Gomorrah

If the stories of the Italian-American mafia seem boring to you (statistically, there will be someone), you may be interested in going back to their roots. Gomorrah, a television adaptation of the homonymous novel by Roberto Saviano, shows the harshness of the Neapolitan Camorra in all its splendor, where two rival clans fight for control of drug trafficking.

The protagonist of this Italian production is Pietro Savastano (played by actor Fortunato Cerlino), the leader of the Savastano family and one of the most feared bosses in the Secondigliano neighborhood. The series shows with a high degree of realism the consequences and ramifications of the actions of this mafia, and denounces many aspects of it, such as the recruitment of minors.

You can watch it on Disney+ and HBO Max.

Disney+ DOWNLOAD
8.4

Peaky Blinders

In the field of historical dramas starring mafias, we find Peaky Blinders, an English production that tells the experiences of a family of gangsters in the years after the First World War, and that has been a success both among critics as in audience.

Cillian Murphy gives life to Thomas Shelby, the leader of the Peaky Blinders, in a story that shows the daily life of this criminal group in a time marked by famine and poverty. The series has such a realistic setting that we can even smell the smoke from the factories that are part of its settings.

You can watch it on Netflix (the complete series) and Prime Video (only the first 4 seasons).

Amazon Prime Video DOWNLOAD
7.4

Narcos

Based on real events, Narcos takes us to Colombia in the 1980s, at a time in its history sadly led by cocaine trafficking. The series narrates the rise to power of drug trafficker Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (Wagner Moura), who became one of the most influential people in the country, including in the political arena.

In addition to putting ourselves in his shoes, we will see the story through the eyes of two of the DEA agents who ended his reign: Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal). A series that tells some of the most human aspects of one of the greatest criminals in the history of drug trafficking.

You can watch it on Netflix.

Netflix DOWNLOAD
8.6

Tokyo Vice

The yakuza is one of the mafias that has had the greatest impact on the audiovisual world. The well-known Japanese mafia stars in hundreds of productions, including Tokyo Vice, an American series released last year that places us in the city of Tokyo in the late 90s.

Its protagonist, the journalist Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), moves to the capital of Japan, where he manages to become the first foreign journalist. Under the protection of veteran police detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), the journalist investigates various crimes committed by the yakuza in a city where, in front of the public, “no murder is committed”.

You can watch it on HBO Max.

Pedro Domínguez

Pedro Domínguez

Publicist and audiovisual producer in love with social networks. I spend more time thinking about which videogames I will play than playing them.

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