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Top 10 Mexican Films

I feel like it is a good idea to start some lists so you know where to start with film from each country around the world. I will update these as I watch more and more films from around the world and would appreciate your input as well!

To start with, here’s my top films from Mexico, a country which has produced the likes of Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and Guillermo Del Toro in recent years.

1. Y Tu Mama Tambien

Shot beautifully as always with Alfonso Cuaron, this film follows two young privileged students on a road trip. They travel across Mexico unaware of the ‘real’ Mexico they pass by.

2. Amores Perros

Translated roughly as ‘Love’s a bitch’, Amores Perros marks the start of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s feature film career. Based in Mexico City, we follow three different storylines connected by a car crash. The three story is also copied in Inarritu’s next two films (21 Grams and Babel).

3. El Infierno (El Narco)

One of my personal favourites, El Infierno is a dark comedy about Mexico during the Mexican Drug War. It follows Benny, recently deported from the U.S. who finds his home-town empty and without any jobs. As a result, he pretty much stumbles into drug trafficking. This one points a comic finger at politicians, drug trafficking, and organized corruption.

4. Sin Nombre

Directed by the guy behind the True Detective (Cary Fukunaga), Sin Nombre is an action-adventure film that spans Central America. It is an introduction to both the vicious Mara Salvatrucha gang and ‘La Bestia’ the train network that many Central Americans use to try and reach the U.S. It is gripping right until the final minutes and is complemented by some beautiful scenery.

5. Pan’s Labyrinth

This Spanish/Mexican film is Guillermo del Toro’s most famous and best. It’s fantasy matches the imagination of the Studio Ghibli animated classics. Set in Civil War Spain, this film is filmed along the boundary between reality and mythical. It received a 22 minute standing ovation after it’s screening at Cannes, and would be placed higher on this list if it’s honours were not shared with Spain.

6. Heli

Heli is brutal. It is a shocking examination of the effect of the Mexican drug war on a small town in northern Mexico. Director Amat Escalante won the Best Director award at Cannes for this one – a testament to it’s barren landscapes and bare editing. One word of warning before you watch this one though – it isn’t happy or light-hearted in any way.

7. Cronos

Another debut feature from one of Mexico’s most well known directors. Cronos is Guillermo del Toro’s Vampire horror flick that is characterised by his imagination. Eternal life, Ron Perlman, and a cute relationship between a granddaughter and grandfather that make this film great.

8. Miss Bala

Another brutal drug war flick, Miss Bala follows the life of a beauty paegeant queen who gets trapped within the wrath of a drug cartel. Gang leader Lino will haunt you for a while after this one – he is crafty and elusive. The film is gripping, and horribly fatalistic, just like Heli.

9. Instructions Not Included

At last, a cheesy comedy to lift your spirits. Instructions Not Included follow the feel-good story of a Mexican playboy who travels to the United States to return his American daughter to her mother. The film will have you laughing and crying for a very entertaining 2 hours.

10. Cesar Chavez

A Mexican-U.S. film about American Labour Leader, Cesar Chavez sees Michael Pena in his best role. The biographical film follows Chavez from his move to Delano, California though many of the non-violent campaigns he led. Alongside McFarland, Cesar Chavez is a timely portrait of migrant families in the San Joaquin Valley.

I have not seen as many Mexican films as I should have, so I have probably missed some greats. Please leave a comment if you think there should be another film in this list!

Under the Shadow

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Under the Shadow is a horror film with intelligence. It layers context of the Iraq-Iran war and female oppression onto a potent horror narrative. Therefore it’s perfect if you want something more from the horror genre without skimping out on the scare tactics. Ever heard of the Djinn? You will have by the end of this film and wishing you hadn’t.

Why Watch Under the Shadow?

To see how horror can be done well outside of Hollywood and Japan
Know anything about the Iraq-Iran War? Learn something about it by watching this film!
Will be available on Netflix soon!
If you’re a mother with a kid and don’t want to sleep at night!

The Breakdown

Under the Shadow starts with a montage of pixelated footage of the Iraq-Iran war. Meanwhile, in front of an office window a woman pleads a university official to let her return to her studies. Her pleas are rejected because of her former political activity (the reason she was expelled a few years earlier). As they talk a missile crashes into a building in the distance. This is a time of conflict.

Whilst Under the Shadow is a horror film, it also carries a very important message in disguise. Shideh, our female protagonist, becomes a symbol for female oppression. She is not allowed to restart her studies because of her political activity, her husband does not trust her with their child, and she ‘generously’ gets let off of some lashings after she is caught outside without a hijab. Under the layers of the horror lie a more telling critique in the items that go missing: a doll, a book on medicine, and a fitness video. These three items represent the things Shideh (a symbol of women in Iran) cannot be or do. She cannot be a kid any more, she cannot study medicine, and she cannot workout.

Elsewhere, the camera-work is particularly impressive at adding to the tension. Around the time something fishy happens the camera starts to shake and wobble, disorientating the viewer. So when things start appearing, we can’t see very clearly, leaving more up for interpretation. My favourite scene happens half way through when Shideh wakes up from her sleep. As she sits up, the camera rotates 90 degrees to match the angle of her body sitting up. The movement is unnatural and off-putting, and leads to something even more unnatural and off-putting (as you will see ;)).

After being happy with how much Blair Witch scared me a few weeks ago, I was on a horror high. Luckily, Under the Shadow matches the potency of Blair Witch (even at 11am on a Sunday morning). Even more impressive, is that the film is clever – it carries a political message (something that most horror film’s don’t even try to convey). Therefore this one comes certified. It will also be coming to Netflix soon – so no excuses for missing out!

The Look of Silence

Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

The Look of Silence continues a horrific examination of post-genocide Indonesia. Following on from The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence is an even more gut wrenching and unbelievable documentary. These death squad killers boast and laugh about the people they killed and are proud to be seen as heroes by the country and parts of the community. Is this really real!? Unfortunately it is, and it is something that we should no about instead of leaving it hidden in history.

Why Watch This Film?

You didn’t know there was a genocide in Indonesia
To learn how a genocide can happen (and still happen) from the people who committed it – all real footage and real people!
Propaganda is bad
It’s available on Netflix

The Breakdown

The film begins with a long take of an old man looking through some optician’s glasses. This shot is followed by another long take of some cocoons jumping and moving around on a table. Then we are shown another long take of a man starring at the camera thoughtfully. He is watching an interview with two men re-enacting what they did for the Indonesian death squads.

The subject matter is bleak and horrific throughout, but the director Joshua Oppenheimer fantastically guides us without intervention throughout. Instead of interviewing subjects directly about the murders they committed, Oppenheimer finds an Indonesian whose brother was murdered to do the questioning. As a result, he poses the victim against the perpetrator without any biased foreign perspective. The interviewer doesn’t show any hatred towards the death squad members. His questions aren’t particularly heavy or deep but are extremely effective when he gives his interviewees time to talk. His silence facilitates their candid and horrific responses.

The look of silence is the interviewers only punishment. The director emphasises the interviewees guiltiness by showing extended shots of their faces during and after their answers. In a similar way to the effect that the lingering shots give in Tokyo Story, the lingering shots give us time to think about what the interviewee has said and then to judge them. The combination of the interviewers long and sombre look at his guilty interviewees and the interviewees extended silence emphasises their guilt. This is how the director shows their guiltiness, without even saying a word.

Oppenheimer has the skill of getting people to talk without saying a thing. This is the power of the look of silence. The guilty are open about their crimes and open about the things they did, which makes it easy for us to judge them. One man said that because he had killed so many people he had to either drink human blood or go crazy. (the horrific irony). If we didn’t think he was guilty at that point, the interviewer then asks the same man another question about a different topic. The distracted interviewee ignores the question and says “it was salty and sweet.”

Grand Piano

Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

I feel like a cheat. This film is technically a Spanish film, but lucky for you, it’s all in English and has a familiar face in Elijah Wood! So no arguments! Grand Piano features some great editing, some great music, and a load of tension. This thriller was what Whiplash director Damian Chazelle was doing before he became famous (he wrote the script for this one).

Why Watch Grand Piano?

You’ll be surprised at how tense a piano recital can be.
For a classic ‘break a leg’ pun-ending (if you watch it, you’ll see what I mean – no spoilers!)
You can’t text and drive, but this guy can text and play piano!
Did you like Whiplash? Try this!

The Breakdown

This film opens with some sexy shots of a curvy grand piano in all it’s sleekness. A group of men carry start moving a grand piano out of a big mansion (with a picture of our protagonist Tom with an old man on the side). They carefully move the piano into a removal van for shipping. Meanwhile Tom (our pianist) is on a plane flying into Chicago. He wishes the plane would crash. But his wish is not answered. He cannot escape playing at the concert.

After meeting his wife before the concert, Tom is alone for a lot of his screen-time. He is alone in the changing room whilst everyone else is getting into their positions. He is alone on the walk up to the piano, and he is alone at the piano, which is elevated over the rest of the orchestra. Tom is on an island and the director isolates him in the shots he features in. As a result, we can see his fear of repeating his previous failures. The stakes are also much higher when it’s just you. (The focus on Tom also allows Elijah Wood to have the whole lime-light).

Another effect to look out for is the director’s editing. It makes playing the piano look a lot more exciting than you think. If you want a comparison, go onto YouTube and search for a piano tutorial. Most of the time, it’s just an image of someone’s fingers playing (shot from above), or a side shot of the whole person. Rarely do they get any more exciting than that on YouTube. However, on the big screen, the cutting from Tom’s dancing fingers to his anxious face builds some Hitchcock-esque tension. (The big swivel shots could also be a metaphor for the swivels Tom’s head is going through).

Whilst the plot may not be to the liking of some, I thought it was an entertaining thrill ride. It serves as a perfect example of how to shoot a musician and a perfect option before or after you watch Whiplash. However, this is a Spanish film, so no marks for watching it. Grand Piano is pretty much a Hollywood film so come back and watch something like Embrace of the Serpent for a challenge next week!

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a classic comedy. This film from New Zealand is like a Little Miss Sunshine, an indie gem that you’d be missing out on if you didn’t watch it. Fronted by Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) and newcomer Julian Dennison, who is unforgettable. Do yourself a favour – go have a laugh and watch this movie.

Why Watch Hunt for the Wilderpeople?

You like a good laugh
To learn how to survive in the ‘bush’
For a few homages to Lord of the Rings
You want to find out how director Taika Waititi followed up What We Do In The Shadows
#rickybaker

The Breakdown

Hunt for the Wilderpeople starts with some beautiful helicopter shots of the New Zealand landscape (think Lord of the Rings). After the landscape shots we follow a police car driving along a trail into the forest. In the back sits a chubby kid in colourful baggy clothing. They stop outside a wooden house in the middle of nowhere and a homely looking older woman gives the young kid a big hug. The social security leave this ‘dangerous’ kid with this woman and leave.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a film which is made by the characters. There are some classic one-liners that you’ll love. (I’ll only spoil their impact if I write them here). Also, there’s a lot of characters too silly to find in other movies such as Psycho Sam. Plus, you’ll be singing about Ricky Baker when the credits start rolling.

The director also parodies scenes from other films to add to the comedic value. What is a parody?

A parody is an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

In this film Waititi recreates a scene from Lord of the Rings in which Frodo and the hobbits hide under a tree trunk as a black rider stops and rides on past them. As per the definition above, Waititi deliberately exaggerates the imitation for comedic effect. I also got a kick out of the little homage to Lord of the Rings. There are plenty of other examples of this in the film so see if you can spot them and the film they are parodying.

Well, I really wish I could have done this film justice but I’m just going to have to settle for the hope that you aren’t put off by this review and go watch it regardless. If you can’t be asked to pay for the cinema, then watch one of Waititi’s other films, What We Do In the Shadows on Netflix instead.