La Chasse aux gringos

After Narcos, it had been a long time since I watched a Mexican series that truly captivated me like this. Gringo Hunters is absolutely exceptional. The storytelling is sharp and intense, and every single performance is nothing short of impressive. Each actor fully embodies their character, creating a gripping atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first episode to the last.

It's rare to find a show where the writing, direction, and acting all align so perfectly, but this one delivers on all fronts. Every detail feels deliberate, the tension is masterfully built, and the emotional depth of the characters makes it impossible to look away.

Five stars feel like too little for what this series achieves. I sincerely hope they continue with more seasons, because this is a story and a cast that deserve to go even further. Truly one of the best shows I've seen in years, highly, highly recommended.

As Episode 1 of "The Gringo Hunters" (2025 release from Mexico; 12 episodes ranging from 44 to 53 min each) opens, we are informed this is "Inspired by True Events". We get to know a group of Mexican cops in Tijuana who are chasing down an American guy who fled from the US to avoid arrest. After a long chase, the American is promptly turned over to US Marshalls at the border. In a parallel story, the (billionaire) Mayor if Tijuana in interviewed at a town hall about the upcoming referendum to make Tijuana into another Las Vegas. At this point we are 15 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this "inspired by true events" refers to the International Liaison Unit of the Baja California State Police, which for decades have been working, in close coordination with the FBI and other forces to track down people (mostly Americans) who have fled to Mexico to avoid punishment for crimes they have committed. But note: the series is not just about that. In fact, multiple other parallel story lines are developed over the course of the series, making this a surprisingly strong and gritty Mexican crime series that, for once, doesn't mainly focus on the Mexican drug cartels. I've now seen the first 6 episodes (halfway through the series), and I'm looking forward to watching the remainder 6 episodes.

"The Gringo Hunters" recently started airing on Netflix. I was unaware of the series, but happened to see a positive writeup about it in the UK-based weekly The Economist. That was enough for me to check it out. So glad I did. If you are in the mood for s surprisingly strong and gritty Mexican crime drama , I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Exciting new Mexican crime series developing characters as the action moves at a rapid pace, following a special force unit who track down hard criminals, mostly Americans (them gringos) who jumped over the border to avoid prosecution from their country and hide out in Tijuana. The makers of this series are also not afraid to tackle issues in their own backyard - mainly corruption - as a local billionaire wants to turn Tijuana into a Los Vegas with the help of some wealthy yanks. Hard hitting without the over-the-top telenovela dross (but it does come close in certain parts), and also fascinating to see what is occurring on the other side of that imaginary Wall...

This is not at all as good as Narcos. The narrative is confusing and chaotic. Scenes are randomly strung together so that viewer continuity becomes impossible. While the story might be a good one, the narrative is so confusing that the plot is really never clear. The audio track is also very poor, and the Spanish dialog is hard to hear. It's really not a great series.

If you love Mexican Narco world, series like Narcos or Narcos Mexico even movies like El Infierno this one is for you. The cast is superb, the script is acceptable and acting is enough convincing for a Netflix production.

First, the cast is amazing (Manuel Masalva from Narcos Mexico), for instance and several more very well know faces from similar shows or movies like El Infierno (a masterpiece).

Second, the script is too soft. Compared to Narcos or similar movies like Sicario for instance, the series is more into a soap opera level. Didn't like it. But still enjoyable.

Last, acting is not as good as other productions because of the predictable script and the most superficial characters. On the other hand, it doesn't look cheap or it does not use too much CGI, as other Netflix productions.

Anyway nothing is perfect and there is a great road of improvement just with a more twisted and risky script. The cast is there, locations are perfect. Hopefully they will do it.