After giving Netflix viewers a palpable high with the story of Pablo Escobar, the creators of Narcos are back with another real-life drug tale focused on Griselda Blanco a.k.a. the “Cocaine Godmother.”
Starring Sofia Vergara in the title role, Griselda is already racking up overwhelmingly positive reviews. While there’s some debate over the predictable nature of story, Vergara’s performance is almost unanimously praised as the series highpoint. The actress’ dramatic chops are on full display, and the critics are here for it.
You can see what the early reviews are saying below:
Aramide Tinubu, Variety:
This tale isn’t an account of some distressed damsel who gets swept up in the underworld. Instead, what creator Eric Newman offers is a window into the mind of a highly meticulous and intelligent woman, intent on taking back everything that was ever stolen from her, even if she destroys herself in the process. Fast-paced and well-acted, the show is brutal, fascinating and full of high drama.
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter:
Vergara keeps it watchable. The hardest-working member of the Modern Family cast — she consistently elevated Gloria from walking stereotype to intricate punchline machine, yet never won an Emmy — Vergara, an executive producer here, deserves full credit for unveiling a whole new set of serious chops. She never makes Griselda quite as frightening as the real woman was — an opening quotation from Pablo Escobar admitting to being afraid of her makes it particularly odd that Escobar isn’t used as even a minor character — but she locates Griselda’s insecurities and her brains even from under the layers of makeup.
Carly Lane, Collider:
There are scenes where she all but prowls through a dimly lit ’80s nightclub, her keen gaze assessing every possible threat — but awareness can just as easily tip the scales into full-blown paranoia. The dangers of this environment are palpably felt at nearly every turn, and the more power that Griselda can claw and scrape her way toward, the harder it becomes for her to maintain a grip on all of it at once. Eventually, as her allies begin to question just how far she’s willing to go to maintain her seat at the top, Griselda’s persecution complex turns inward, and she starts questioning the loyalty of those who have supported her since the beginning. However, this is also the moment when Vergara becomes utterly riveting to watch.
Akos Peterbencze, Paste:
It’s impressive how many of Blanco’s major life events the creators included here despite leaving out much of her early years and the devastating background she came from. Years that distilled a tenacious toughness and resilience in Griselda: a former thief and prostitute, trapped by violence and crime from the moment she was born. Although we don’t see and only hear about her rough upbringing in snippets, Vergara conveys a persona shaped by ferocity with an arresting charisma and domination she rarely got to showcase in her previous roles.
Cristina Escobar, RogerEbert.com:
“Griselda” largely sticks to the beats you’d expect, following its protagonist through a series of snowballing decisions into a life of crime and cruelty. Her eventual fate of being consumed by paranoia and isolation is always waiting—these stories must end in tragedy to upload our social order after all. But “Griselda” also doesn’t ignore that people do drugs for fun. The bacchanal scenes are delightful even as Griselda’s early capacity for violence foreshadows that eventually, these parties will go south.
Priscilla Blossom, The Wrap:
Despite some creative license to make the story more enjoyable, watching Griselda’s complex journey unfold over the Netflix limited series is about as satisfying as it gets. From a killer soundtrack (everything from Boney M. to the Miami Sound Machine) killer wardrobe (shoutout to those next-level jumpsuits), killer makeup job (no, that is not her actual nose) and killer cast (if anyone ever doubted Vergara’s dramatic chops, this will shut them up), this latest show is sure to have streaming audiences talking long after its release.
Griselda starts streaming January 25 on Netflix.
