Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Set in 1991 on the inner-city streets of Oakland, California, cocaine dealer Charles Cosby has his life is changed forever when he writes a fan letter to the "Cocaine Godmother" Griselda Blanco, who is serving time at a nearby federal prison. Six months later, Cosby is a multi-millionaire, Blanco's lover, and the head of her $40 million a year cocaine business.
Cocaine Cowboys 2 is a solid documentary follow-up focusing on the bizarre true story of Charles Cosby and his relationship with the notorious Griselda Blanco. The narrative is inherently compelling due to its stranger-than-fiction source material, earning a decent plot score. The interviews with Cosby are engaging and candid, though the talking-head format is fairly standard for the genre. Cinematography is workmanlike documentary filmmaking — archival footage and standard interview setups without much visual distinction. Novelty is moderate: while the Griselda Blanco angle is genuinely fascinating and specific, it treads similar stylistic ground as its predecessor and the broader Miami drug documentary genre. The ending lacks a strong payoff, wrapping up somewhat abruptly without the dramatic resolution the story seems to be building toward.