Streaming on: Netflix

Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

One Hundred Years Of Solitude, the magnum opus by Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez, simply should not work on screen. Even with the blessing of the writer's family, recapturing the essence of his landmark achievement seems even more impossible than the mystical occurrences that unfold in the book's fictional town of Macondo. Yet capture it they have — and remarkably better than anyone could have hoped for.

Shot in the Spanish language, using a Colombian cast, Netflix's highly anticipated adaptation is one of the largest productions in Latin American history, befitting the multi-generational story beating at the heart of the book's prose. The lavish production, shot on a town-sized set specifically constructed for this show, smartly evolves over time as we travel through history with the Buendía family. Historical realism and mythic surprises ebb and flow as the family's saga rises and falls, encompassing...