Narco-Saints
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
K-drama spins tall tale, is violent with mature themes.
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Narco-Saints
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What's the Story?
Allegedly based on real events, NARCO-SAINTS, aka The Accidental Narco, is a Korean series about a hard-working businessman and his extraordinary journey into fighting international organized crime. Kang In-gu (Ha Jung-woo) is a local businessman who has spent the larger part of his life taking care of his siblings, and later his own family, without much to show for it. When his friend Park Eung-soo (Byum Bong Shik) presents an opportunity to sell fish from Suriname at premium prices to Korean suppliers, he leaves his family behind in hope of building a better future for all of them in the small South American country. But as they build the business, he and Park must deal with shakedowns from organized crime gangs and corrupt government officials, including a wanted Korean drug smuggler-turned-pastor (played by Hwang Jung-min) in exchange for money for his family. A series of events leads Kang In-gu to become an undercover operative for the Surinamese government.
Is It Any Good?
The series tells an entertaining, albeit almost unbelievable, story about how a local entrepreneur from South Korea gets caught up the violent world of international drug smuggling. Told from Kang In-gu's rather matter-of-fact point of view, it reveals how he risks his life and uses his business savvy to negotiate with drug lords and gain their trust in an effort to bring them down. Narco-Saints is intense, but well written and it's easy to get absorbed in it. But with every intense twist and turn, you have to wonder how much of this extraordinary narrative is based on truth. Nonetheless, it's worth the watch, even if the tale feels a little tall.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Korean TV and films. Do they differ much from North American media entertainment? Are there elements routinely featured in K-dramas and other media that are specific to South Korean culture?
How much of the story told in Narco-Saints is based on true events? Is there any way of knowing if parts of it are completely made up for entertainment's sake?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 9, 2022
- Cast: Ha Jung-woo , Hwang Jung-min , Byum Bong Shik
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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