Grab your favourite comfy clothes and snacks and get ready to be transported to the world of Mexican film! There's no better way to immerse yourself in a language and culture than sitting back and absorbing the language and culture through a piece of cinematic art. Here are our top picks for Mexican Cinema to get you started!
No 1. Roma
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Roma follows the life of a live-in indigenous houskeeper, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), in a semi-autobiographical take on Cuarón's upbringing in Colonia Roma (Mexico City), amidst the domestic and political turmoil of 1970's Mexico. With a focus on the role of women in the absence of men, Roma depicts a heartfelt, vivid and emotional portrayal of strength and love that both trancends and acknowledges socio-economic and cultural differences within the people of Mexico.
No 2. Amores Perros (Love's a Bitch)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Amores Perros is a bold, intensely emotional, and ambitious story of lives that collide in a Mexico City car crash. Inventively structured as a triptych of overlapping and intersecting narratives, Amores Perros explores the lives of disparate characters who are catapulted into unforeseen dramatic situations instigated by the seemingly inconsequential destiny of a dog named Cofi.
*Warning: this film features a number of violent scenes involving both animals and people and may not be suitable for a younger audience*
No 3. Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
The lives of Julio and Tenoch, like those of 17-year old boys everywhere, are ruled by raging hormones, intense friendships, and a headlong rush into adulthood. Over the course of a summer, the two best friends, while living out a carefree cross-country escapade with a gorgeous older woman, also find connection with each other, themselves and the world around them.
No 4. Los Olvidados (The Young and Damned)
Director: Luis Buñuel
Once he escapes juvenile prison, El Jaibo (Miguel Inclán) resumes his role as the ringleader of a group troubled street kids in Mexico City's slums. El Jaibo leads them to pilfer, but he wants retribution. Determined to find the man who allegedly sent him to jail, he enlists the help of Pedro (Estela Inda), one of the younger boys. Before long, Pedro becomes entangled in a criminal world that threatens to destroy what little he has, no matter how hard he tries to leave that world behind.
No 5. El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
In 1944 Spain young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her ailing mother (Ariadna Gil) arrive at the post of her mother's new husband (Sergi López), a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
*Note: although this movie is set in Spain, it has been included in this list due to the impact it had on the life of Mexican director, Guillermo del Toro, and its importance in highlighting the talents of Mexican filmakers at a global scale.*
No 6. Coco
Director: Lee Unkrich
Despite his family's generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
*El Patio's recommendation: Watch in Spanish and turn on the English (or Spanish) subtitles for a more authentic and engaging movie experience!*
No 7. Amar te Duele (Loving You Hurts)
Director: Fernando Sariñana
Teenagers Renata (Martha Higareda) and Ulises (Luis Fernando Pena) search for love and freedom amidst class divides, prejudice, peer pressure and urban violence in this moving Romeo and Juliet story set in the shopping malls, working class barrios and wealthy neighborhoods of Mexico City. This movie offers various archetypes of urban and modern youth in Mexico within a story about sexual attraction and adolescent idealism.
No 8. Las Niñas Bien (The Good Girls)
Director: Alejandra Márquez Abella
A scathing and glamorous depiction of the wives of upper-class men in 1982 Mexico, inspired by the writings of famed contemporary satirist Guadalupe Loaeza. Sofia lives in the prestigious Las Lomas neighbourhood where life is picture perfect and her biggest dream is to have Julio Iglesias sing at one of her shindigs. However, her cushy routine might be in for a rude awakening as the Mexican economy inches towards a debt crisis, and cracks slowly start to appear in Sofia's perfect world.
No 9. Nosotros, los Nobles (We Are the Nobles)
Director: Gary Alazraki
Germán’s children have lived a spoiled life of luxury ever since their mother died. After a close-call with death, Germán realizes what spoiled brats his children are and decides to teach them a lesson by staging corporate bankruptcy, forcing them to do get a job. This Mexican comedy was based on a play "El Gran Calavera" written by Adolfo Torrado, and has since seen adapations across Italy, Colombia, France and is awaiting an English-language remake!
No 10. Vuelven (Tigers Are Not Afraid)
Director: Issa López
This Mexican crime-fantasy horror film features, Estrella, a young girl in a Mexican city devastated by the Mexican Drug War. While working on a fairy tale writing assignment, Estrella's classroom is disrupted by gunfire outside the school. Amid the panic, Estrella's teacher hands her three pieces of chalk she says will grant three wishes. Following this, Estrella's mother disappears, leaving her on her own and prompting her to join a street gang of children - triggering a tragic chain of events.
Ready to turn off the subtitles? Take a look at our Spanish courses here to immerse yourself in the world of Spanish and enjoy your movies to their full extent!
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By Carmel
September 17, 2024
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