Whether you didn’t like or enjoyed “Emilia Pérez,” the French-produced and Netflix-distributed musical about a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes a gender transition, we hope the conversation around it will inspire you to seek a deeper understanding of the ongoing violence plaguing Mexico. More than 110,000 people are still missing, and thousands more have died as a result of the war on drugs, with more casualties being reported daily.
For much of the past two decades, many Mexican directors, working in both narrative and documentary films, have addressed their country’s conditions directly through their films. We’ve compiled some of the best ones in the list below. Quick note: All but one are available via streaming, video on demand, or in theaters.
Satan’s freedom [2017]
One of the most important cinematic works about the human devastation wrought by the drug war, Everardo González’s unflinching documentary confronts the viewer with shocking testimonies from perpetrators of abhorrent crimes, victims, and their families. All of their faces are covered by the same mask, both to preserve their identity but also to create a powerful effect: the people on both sides of the bloodshed look almost the same. As some people acknowledge what they have done and others painfully retell their experience on the receiving end, an overwhelming collective grief is conveyed.
This is the only film on this list that is not available in the United States
Helicopters [2013]
There’s no hiding that this naturalistic drama features graphic sequences of horrific violence that may be too difficult for some audiences to stomach. But what writer-director Amat Escalante depicts isn’t so far-fetched considering what’s actually happening. When army cadet Beto (Juan Eduardo Palacios) steals confiscated cocaine from his superiors, his girlfriend Estela (Andrea Vergara) and her brother Hailey (Armando Espitia) become embroiled in a series of deadly events involving drug dealers and corrupt authorities. Escalante builds an atmosphere of worldly despair that overshadows his stark emphasis on how difficult it is to overcome horrors.
Streaming on Prime Video and Tubi
Select features (no features selected) [2020]
Knowing that her child suffered a terrible death is not the worst thing a mother can find out, at least not in the context of this stunning masterpiece from Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero. After her son disappears while on his way to cross the US-Mexico border, Magdalena (Mercedes Hernandez) embarks on a perilous journey to find him with the help of her new friend Miguel (David Illescas), a deported immigrant. Through images mixed with solemn lyricism, the filmmakers reveal the truth of what happened in a poignant finale that is sure to leave viewers speechless.
Running on Max; Available on VOD
Noise [2022]
Director Natalia Beristain cast her mother, veteran actress Julieta Igurrola, to play Julia, a woman who, like thousands of people across Mexico, is trying to find her beloved who has disappeared. Desperate and without information about her daughter’s whereabouts, Julia finds support and strength in other women whose lives have been turned upside down by violence. Together they refuse to be ignored. Egurrola’s visceral and devastating performance burns with a mixture of rage and condemnation as her character navigates the difficult emotions of losing someone in such a horrific way.
Streaming on Netflix
Northern sky above empty space [2022]
Based on true events, this complex drama, both in tone and brilliant acting, from the multi-talented director Alejandra Márquez Abella, examines the complexities of outdated masculinity in a patriarchal society like Mexican society. At the center of this musical is the charismatic Don Reynaldo (Gerardo Trigolona), a brash landowner and avid hunter in the northern state of Nuevo León. When the cartel tries to blackmail him, he vows to defend his valuable territory from invaders. The arrogant decision will have worrying repercussions. Amid the chaos, his close employee Rosa (the wonderful Paloma Pietra) emerges as a bold force.
Streaming on Prime Video
The stolen prayer (Night of Hell) [2021]
For young girls in a small town in the state of Jalisco, it is normal to have short hair and to know where to hide when men with bad intentions arrive from abroad. Their mothers warned them that they might be taken away. This is the only truth that Ana (as a child played by Ana Cristina Ordonez González) and her friends will ever know. Loosely adapted from Jennifer Clement’s novel, director Tatiana Hueso’s debut fantasy effort is full of visual poetry as it focuses on the small, wondrous moments of this childhood surrounded by nature, while the dangers of a place constantly under siege always loom nearby.
Streaming on Netflix
dirty [2024]
Growing up hiding from his father’s murderous enemies, teenager Sogo (Juan Jesús Varela) must decide whether to follow the same criminal path or try to carve a different path away from everything he has ever known. From Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, Mexico’s newest Oscars entry dares to hope that even someone who seems destined to repeat their parents’ mistakes might be able to escape them if given the chance. The two have become prominent Mexican filmmakers who address the consequences of violence through fictional narratives that explore with nuance and respect for the ongoing national tragedy.
Playing at Laemmle Glendale, the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, the Laemmle Town Center in Encino, and select theaters nationwide.
storm [2016]
With an emphasis on dramatic images and incisive observations, acclaimed director Tatiana Huizo weaves together the stories of two women who fell victim to collusion between government institutions and criminal organizations. Impunity is rampant in Mexico. Miriam was accused of a crime she did not commit, and spent time in prison under degrading conditions. Meanwhile, Adela, a circus performer, has spent years searching for her daughter, who was kidnapped by powerful men. Huizo honors the resilience of these courageous women in the face of their individual plight, which stems from the same corrosive societal ills.
Stream on Tubi (only available in Spanish without English subtitles)
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo [2020]
Ruby Fryer was murdered at the age of 16 by her boyfriend in Ciudad Juarez. On top of the unbearable grief, her mother, Marisela Escobedo, had to live with the knowledge that the killer was a free man. For years, she conducted her own investigations to find him. But as documentary filmmaker Carlos Pérez Osorio effectively depicts in this powerful production, her efforts are noticed by nefarious criminal forces who will not benefit from justice. The film is a portrait of Escobedo’s unwavering strength and an indictment of a justice system that serves perpetrators more than the Mexican people.
Streaming on Netflix
Tigers are not afraid (Fuelvin) [2017]
This chilling tale from writer-director Issa Lopez (“True Detective: Night Country”) is set in an abandoned Mexican town now populated mostly by orphans whose parents have become victims of gang-related massacre. One of these kids, Estrella (Paola Lara), joins a gang of self-reliant boys led by no-nonsense El Shane (Juan Ramon Lopez) in order to fight. Through deliberately used visual effects, Lopez constructs a vision driven by his own mythology where gritty realism meets dark fantasy. As real-life danger threatens the brave young heroes, supernatural forces will step into their defense.
Running on chills; Available on VOD
A wolfpack called Ernesto [2023]
Everyone who appears in this powerful and much-needed documentary by director Everardo Gonzalez is filmed from behind. The camera never reveals their faces, but their first-hand accounts are chilling. Although the title refers to one name, there are many themes: young men from marginalized neighborhoods or towns who obtain firearms and are quickly swallowed up by the inescapable brutality of organized crime in Mexico. One bullet changes the course of their lives. Joining the ranks of those terrorizing the population seems to be their only viable chance for security and prosperity.
They are streaming on the VIX