Smoke (2018)
TV show · 2018 · Crime, Drama · HI
Curator score: 2.9/10 (14.9K ratings)
Set in Goa, Smoke explores the dark web of drugs, mafia, and power. With the cartels at war, who will survive?
Ratings:
- Curator score: 2.9/10
- IMDb: 7.1/10
- Metacritic: 61
- TMDB: 7.8/10
Production: Eros Now, Hamari Film Company
Cast: Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi, Gulshan Devaiah, Amit Sial, Neil Bhoopalam, Satyadeep Misra, Tom Alter, Prakash Belawadi, Kallirroi Tziafeta
Curator Review
Verdict: A stylish, compact Indian crime thriller with a strong cast and a moody Goa setting, but it plays more like a promising sketch of a larger saga than a fully satisfying payoff. If you enjoy cartel politics, noir atmosphere, and ensemble power games, it has enough tension to keep you engaged.
Best for: Viewers who like dark, urban crime dramas with a glossy noir finish; Fans of ensemble stories about rival factions, corruption, and shifting loyalties; People open to a one-season, bingeable thriller with a pulpy edge
Skip if: You want tightly resolved plotting and a fully conclusive ending; You prefer grounded realism over heightened, stylized crime melodrama; You are looking for a long-form series with deep character development across multiple seasons
Overview: Smoke is built around a familiar but effective crime-drama engine: drugs, money, and power colliding in a sunlit coastal setting that gives the show a distinctive look. The cast is a major asset, and the series leans into a sleek, internationalized noir mood that helps it stand out from more conventional underworld dramas.
Worth noting: What keeps it from being a stronger recommendation is that the storytelling often feels compressed, with character arcs and factional maneuvering moving faster than the material can fully support. The result is watchable and occasionally gripping, but not as layered or sharply written as the best prestige crime series.
Bottom line: As a one-season watch, it works best as a mood piece and a compact binge rather than a definitive crime saga. If you like the premise and the tone, it’s worth sampling; if you need a deeply satisfying payoff, it may leave you wanting more.
Recommended similar titles:
- Sacred Games (2018 · Curator 0.4/10 (247 ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
A benchmark Indian crime thriller with sprawling underworld politics, corruption, and a similarly tense, stylized mood.
- Paatal Lok (2020 · Curator 7.2/10 (75.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
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- The Family Man (2019 · Curator 7.5/10 (112.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
Balances crime, action, and character drama with a more confident blend of tension and wit.
- Gangs of London (2020 · Curator 6.4/10 (53.6K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Spectrum On Demand)
For viewers drawn to cartel-style faction warfare, this is a brutal, visually bold ensemble crime series.
- Narcos (2015 · Curator 9.3/10 (528.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads)
The definitive modern cartel drama, with procedural momentum, power shifts, and a strong sense of criminal ecosystem.
- Narcos: Mexico (2018 · Curator 1.1/10 (1.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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- Queen of the South (2016 · Crime, Drama · 42m · Curator 5.0/10 (38.3K ratings))
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- Peaky Blinders (2013 · Curator 7.7/10 (780K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix)
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- Boardwalk Empire (2010 · Curator 9.8/10 (218.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- The Wire (2002 · Curator 9.5/10 (431.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- Ozark (2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (393.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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- Breaking Bad (2008 · Curator 10.0/10 (2.6M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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Topics: crime drama, noir, cartel warfare, ensemble cast, dark thriller, corruption, bingeable, stylized, power politics, Indian series
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/smoke/83485
Smoke (2018)
TV show · 2018 · Crime, Drama · HI
Curator score: 2.9/10 (14.9K ratings)
Overview Set in Goa, Smoke explores the dark web of drugs, mafia, and power. With the cartels at war, who will survive?
Ratings
Curator score: 2.9/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Metacritic: 61
TMDB: 7.8/10
Production Eros Now, Hamari Film Company
Cast Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi, Gulshan Devaiah, Amit Sial, Neil Bhoopalam, Satyadeep Misra, Tom Alter, Prakash Belawadi, Kallirroi Tziafeta
Curator Review
Verdict
A stylish, compact Indian crime thriller with a strong cast and a moody Goa setting, but it plays more like a promising sketch of a larger saga than a fully satisfying payoff. If you enjoy cartel politics, noir atmosphere, and ensemble power games, it has enough tension to keep you engaged.
Best for
Viewers who like dark, urban crime dramas with a glossy noir finish
Fans of ensemble stories about rival factions, corruption, and shifting loyalties
People open to a one-season, bingeable thriller with a pulpy edge
Skip if
You want tightly resolved plotting and a fully conclusive ending
You prefer grounded realism over heightened, stylized crime melodrama
You are looking for a long-form series with deep character development across multiple seasons
Overview
Smoke is built around a familiar but effective crime-drama engine: drugs, money, and power colliding in a sunlit coastal setting that gives the show a distinctive look. The cast is a major asset, and the series leans into a sleek, internationalized noir mood that helps it stand out from more conventional underworld dramas.
Worth noting
What keeps it from being a stronger recommendation is that the storytelling often feels compressed, with character arcs and factional maneuvering moving faster than the material can fully support. The result is watchable and occasionally gripping, but not as layered or sharply written as the best prestige crime series.
Bottom line
As a one-season watch, it works best as a mood piece and a compact binge rather than a definitive crime saga. If you like the premise and the tone, it’s worth sampling; if you need a deeply satisfying payoff, it may leave you wanting more.
Recommended similar titles
2018 · Curator 0.4/10 (247 ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A benchmark Indian crime thriller with sprawling underworld politics, corruption, and a similarly tense, stylized mood.
2020 · Curator 7.2/10 (75.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Darker, sharper, and more socially grounded, with a strong investigative spine and a grim sense of menace.
2019 · Curator 7.5/10 (112.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Balances crime, action, and character drama with a more confident blend of tension and wit.
2020 · Curator 6.4/10 (53.6K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Spectrum On Demand
For viewers drawn to cartel-style faction warfare, this is a brutal, visually bold ensemble crime series.
2015 · Curator 9.3/10 (528.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
The definitive modern cartel drama, with procedural momentum, power shifts, and a strong sense of criminal ecosystem.
2018 · Curator 1.1/10 (1.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A great match for drug-trade politics and rival factions, with a more expansive and strategic crime narrative.
2016 · Crime, Drama · 42m · Curator 5.0/10 (38.3K ratings)
A propulsive drug-world series centered on survival, ambition, and the rise within a violent criminal hierarchy.
2013 · Curator 7.7/10 (780K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix
For stylish criminal ambition, family power plays, and a polished period-noir sensibility.
2010 · Curator 9.8/10 (218.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A prestige crime series about organized power, political corruption, and the business of vice.
2002 · Curator 9.5/10 (431.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Still the gold standard for systemic crime storytelling, especially if you want the politics behind the violence.
2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (393.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A tense, modern crime thriller about laundering money, escalating danger, and family entanglement.
2008 · Curator 10.0/10 (2.6M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
The essential transformation story in the drug-crime space, with meticulous escalation and moral collapse.
Topics
crime drama, noir, cartel warfare, ensemble cast, dark thriller, corruption, bingeable, stylized, power politics, Indian series
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