30 Best Mexican Movies to Watch Before You Visit Mexico
Movie geeks alert! Here’s our pick on the best Mexican movies, from comedy flicks to action blockbusters that will inspire a trip to Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of cinematography. It had its golden age during the 1930s, and then it had a resurgence in the past 20 years with a wave of moviemakers introducing a new style of storytelling.
In this post, we’ve curated a list of the 30 best movies about Mexico that have left a clear mark on the global film landscape. From iconic classics to contemporary gems, these Mexican films will prepare you for your next trip to Mexico.
So, grab your popcorn (or perhaps some Mexican antojitos) and prepare to embark on a cinematic journey that will entertain and educate you on Mexican history, culture and landscapes.
Table of Contents
- Best Mexican Movies
Best Mexican Movies
Mexico has entered 54 films for Oscar consideration throughout its history, with the Academy recognizing nine Mexican films for the prestigious Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In this post, we’ve tried to feature only films shot in Mexico, with Mexican involvement in production, direction, and casting. Several of these films have successfully transcended barriers, achieving international fame. Here’s our list of the 30 best movies about Mexico, divided into different categories.
Hi, I’m Nellie — a lifelong traveler, book author, and adventurous mum. In 2021, we moved our home base to San Miguel de Allende, and absolutely fell in love with Mexico. I created this blog to share my love for Mexico; read more here.
Best Mexican Movies of All Time
1. The Forgotten Ones
This movie, also known as The Young and the Damned, is a Mexican film made in 1950, capturing the raw life of marginalized youth in Mexico City. Directed by Luis Buñuel, it won the Best Director award at Cannes and was named a UNESCO Memory of the World.
The story follows Jaibo, a troubled teen, and Pedro, a boy struggling in poverty. Buñuel blends surrealism with the Italian neorealism style, infusing dream sequences and symbolic elements. The plot delves into their struggles, including crime, poverty, and broken families.
Tragedy strikes as the characters face betrayal, violence, and, ultimately, their fates. Amidst the chaos, the film captures the grit and hardship of the city’s forgotten ones.
- Filmed in: 1950
- Directed by: Luis Buñuel
- Cast: Alfonso Mejía, Stella Inda, Miguel Inclán, Roberto Cobo
2. Amores Perros
Amores Perros marked Alejandro González Iñárritu’s directorial debut and shot Gael García Bernal to stardom.
The film weaves multiple storylines around a single incident, earning critical praise and bagging an astonishing 95 million MXN (USD $5,383,503) at the box office, making it Mexico’s fifth highest-grossing film. With eleven Ariel Awards and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, it revitalized Mexican cinema after a long hiatus.
The movie shows three different stories connected by a car crash in Mexico City and the involvement of dogs in the lives of the main characters. The title makes a pun with the word “perros” which means “dogs”, but it is also an expression for something terrible or complicated.
- Filmed in: 2000
- Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Cast: Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero
3. Macario
Macario is a trippy Mexican flick from 1960, mixing horror, drama, and mystery. It follows a poor woodcutter, Macario, obsessed with his poverty and the fear of death. Hungry for a feast all to himself, he encounters the Devil, God, and Death in a forest.
Death grants him miraculous water but demands his service. As Macario gains a healing reputation, the Inquisition sees him as a threat, leading to a trial where he miraculously predicts death. But as tragedy strikes, Macario flees into a cave and confronts his mortality. Ultimately, it’s a mind-bending twist that leaves us questioning reality.
- Filmed in: 1960
- Directed by: Roberto Gavaldón
- Cast: Ignacio López Tarso, Pina Pellicer
4. Y Tu Mamá También
Y Tu Mamá También (translated as And Your Mom Too) follows the story of two 18-year-old friends, Tenoch and Julio, on a spontaneous road trip with an older Spanish woman named Luisa.
Along the way to a supposedly untouched and beautiful beach in Oaxaca, they confront social tensions and personal conflicts, revealing their inner struggles and desires. Their journey involves unexpected twists, including intimate encounters and emotional confrontations.
This coming-of-age movie set the record for the highest box office opening in Mexican Cinema and got an Academy Awards nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
- Filmed in: 2001
- Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Maribel Verdú
5. The Place Without Limits
This top-notch Mexican movie, also released as Hell Without Limits is based on the novel of the same name by the Chilean author José Donoso. Filmed in Río Bordo Blanco, a chill town in Querétaro, the movie shows the beautiful countryside of the Central Highlands.
The story follows La Manuela, a drag queen, and her drag daughter La Japonesita, who run a brothel in the town of Olivo. Things get wild when Pancho, a former protégé of the local bigwig Don Alejo and a regular at the brothel, reveals his true colors after a few drinks, leading to a tragic series of events.
This film earned 9th on the list of the 100 best Mexican movies, as rated by critics and cinema experts in Mexico back in July 1994.
- Filmed in: 1978
- Directed by: Arturo Ripstein
- Cast: Roberto Cobo, Lucha Villa, Ana Martín
Best Mexican Movies on Netflix
6. Roma
Roma is like a heartfelt memory lane trip for director Alfonso Cuarón. It revolves around Cleo, a domestic worker for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood.
Amidst daily chores, Cleo struggles with her boyfriend and her unexpected pregnancy. As tensions escalate in the city, Cleo’s life takes a devastating turn during a violent protest. The movie captures touching moments and raw emotions, illustrating the complex dynamics of family and societal struggles.
It won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival with stunning cinematography before hitting Netflix. Its powerful narrative portrays resilience and the bonds that withstand life’s most brutal blows.
- Filmed in: 2018
- Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira
7. I’m No Longer Here
The story revolves around Ulises, a 17-year-old from Monterrey who’s a massive fan of cumbia music and part of a gang called Los Terkos.
Set against the backdrop of Mexico’s drug war in the late 2000s, the film follows Ulises as he’s forced to flee his neighborhood due to a deadly gang incident, eventually making his way to Jackson Heights in Queens, New York.
It’s a powerful tale of escape, survival, and cultural identity amidst urban chaos. Even though the film showcases the lower neighborhoods of Monterrey, there’s a lot you can do if you visit this beautiful cosmopolitan city.
- Filmed in: 2020
- Directed by: Fernando Frías de la Parra
- Cast: Juan Daniel García Treviño, Xueming Angelina Chen
8. El Club de los Insomnes
Santiago and Danny have serious sleep issues, so they’re hanging out at a 24-hour mini-mart all night.
Things take a turn when they meet Estela, a vet who just found out she’s pregnant. This gem hit the big screens in 2018 but didn’t get much hype. Still, it’s got top-notch performances from Leonardo Ortizgris and Cassandra Ciangherotti.
If you want to have a good time watching a fun, heartwarming movie on Netflix, this is the choice for you.
- Filmed in: 2018
- Directed by: José Eduardo Giordano
- Cast: Alejandra Ambrosi, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Leonardo Ortizgris
9. Elvira, I Will Give You My Life But I’m Using It
Elvira is a 40-year-old mom of two, determined to uncover the truth and confront the man who left her.
With her extra-religious neighbor and best friend by her side, Elvira embarks on an endless quest, leading her through a series of mishaps and prompting her to question the course of her life.
As she searches for her missing husband, Elvira begins to suspect that he might have run off with his lover. This film cleverly criticizes how societal pressure forces people to hide their true feelings, all wrapped up in a refreshing tragicomedy.
- Filmed in: 2015
- Directed by: Manolo Caro
- Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Vanessa Bauche, Luis Gerardo Méndez
This suspenseful drama and mystery film, Time Share, spins a tale of two haunted family men. While vacationing at the lavish Everfield resort with his wife and son, Pedro faces an unexpected lodging predicament as another family claims their bungalow.
As tensions rise, Pedro grapples with the unsettling behavior of his uninvited cohabitants. Meanwhile, Andrés, a former lively entertainer at the resort, now a sad cleaner, struggles to salvage his relationship with his wife under the shadowy management of the enigmatic American director, Tom. As their paths intertwine, the plot thickens, delving into darker and stranger territories.
- Filmed in: 2018
- Directed by: Sebastián Hofmann
- Cast: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Miguel Rodarte, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Monserrat Maranon, RJ Mitte, Andres Almeida
Best Mexican Gangster Movies
11. Rosauro Castro
One of the all-time best Mexican movies, Rosauro Castro begins with Cardoza, a mayoral candidate in Valle de Bravo, meeting an unfortunate end, sparking lawyer García Mata’s quest for the truth. He discovers the town shaking in fear of the local boss Rosauro Castro.
According to Emilio García Riera, this flick stands out for its gritty realism, with Castro symbolizing a domineering figure hell-bent on obstructing progress at any cost. If you want to visit the beautiful town where this movie happens, you can take a day trip from Mexico City.
- Filmed in: 1950
- Directed by: Roberto Gavaldón
- Cast: Pedro Armendáriz, Carlos López Moctezuma, María Douglas
12. Hell
During the Bicentennial Independence celebrations, Benjamín García, like many others, returns to his hometown after being deported from the U.S.A. He’s greeted by a grim scene of economic crisis and rampant violence.
Left with no choice, he dives into the drug business to lift his family out of poverty, experiencing sudden prosperity but ultimately facing a tragic end. This darkly humorous satire sheds light on the drug world, economic turmoil, corruption, and irrational violence plaguing us, serving as a mirror to our society.
- Filmed in: 2010
- Directed by: Luis Estrada
- Cast: Damián Alcázar, Joaquín Cosio, Ernesto Gómez Cruz
Best Mexican Action Movies
13. Santo vs. the Monsters
Santo is a legend in Mexican film, and he’s our most famous superhero. Santo was a famous luchador character with his comic book series and then a filmography as a hero who fought monsters like zombies, vampires, and werewolves in the ’60s.
Even Tim Burton likes Santo’s movies, and Santo vs the Zombies was his third movie and the one that set him as the legend he is to this day. Santo’s movies are pulp-style films with real stunts by luchadores.
- Filmed in: 1961
- Directed by: Benito Alazraki
- Cast: Santo, Armando Silvestre, Jaime Fernández, Dagoberto Rodríguez
14. The Desperado Trilogy
The American/Mexican series of fantastic action flicks, helmed by Robert Rodriguez, follows the rough journey of El Mariachi, a lone wolf nursing a world of hurt after losing his loved ones.
Starting with the shoestring-budget wonder El Mariachi in 1993, shot entirely in Mexico with a rookie crew, Rodriguez’s book Rebel Without a Crew spills the beans on how he hustled funds, even becoming a human guinea pig for science labs.
Columbia Pictures loved the film so much that they splurged big bucks on its distribution. This success paved the way for Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
- Filmed in: 1993-2003
- Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
- Cast: Carlos Gallardo, Antonio Banderas
Best Mexican Comedy Movies
15. Todo Mal
One of my favorite Mexican films of all time, Todo Mal, centers on Fernando, a successful diplomat basking in career glory by returning the precious Moctezuma’s headdress to Mexico.
Trouble brews when Fernando’s sweetheart, Viviana, confesses she’s cheating. In a rage, Fernando swipes the prized headdress and goes partying hard, only to wake up with the invaluable relic lost.
With the help of his cousins – an ex-pop star Matías and a perpetual student stuck in his mom’s closet – he tries to rewind the night to find the treasure, putting their lives at risk.
- Filmed in: 2018
- Directed by: Issa Lopez
- Cast: Osvaldo Benavides, Marcela Guirado, Martin Altomaro, Alfonso Dosal
16. We Are the Nobles
We Are the Nobles is a hilarious Mexican comedy film about Germán Noble, a wealthy businessman oblivious to his kids’ lack of ambition.
His son Javier parties non-stop, his daughter Bárbara plans to marry a shady character, and his youngest son, Carlos, is struggling at school. When Germán fakes a financial crisis to teach them life lessons, the trio is forced to get real jobs and live in a run-down house.
Through their trials, they mature, learn important values, and eventually forgive their father. It’s a heartwarming tale of family and personal growth with a twist of humor.
- Filmed in: 2013
- Directed by: Gary Alazraki
- Cast: Gonzalo Vega, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza, Juan Pablo Gil
Best Mexican Horror Movies
17. Tigers Are Not Afraid
Director Issa López is not only good at making comedies. The horror flick, Tigers Are Not Afraid, got a whopping 10 nominations at the 60th Ariel Awards. It snagged wins for Best New Male Talent and Best Makeup. The story’s about Estrella, a 10-year-old with three wishes.
First, she wants her missing mom back, and her wish comes true. But guess what? Mom’s a ghost now, haunting poor Estrella. Estrella bolts and joins a gang of orphaned kids dealing with violence and learns the hard way that, in this brutal world, wishes rarely play out as we hope.
- Filmed in: 2017
- Directed by: Issa López
- Cast: aola Lara, Hanssel Casillas, Tenoch Huerta, Nery Arredondo, Juan Ramón López
18. Pan’s Labyrinth
The Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences chose the movie to represent Mexico at the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.
This movie received great reviews worldwide in 2006 and had the most Oscar nominations for a non-English film. It also won 11 Ariel Awards, including Best Picture and Director. Set in 1944 in northern Spain, the film follows Ofelia, a bright 13-year-old girl who encounters a mysterious insect and a faun leading her to a labyrinth.
With her stepfather’s brutal regime and a magical underworld, she faces three daunting tasks. Director Guillermo del Toro planned to set this film in Mexico, but the production moved to Spain.
- Filmed in: 2006
- Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
- Cast: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil.
19. Poison for the Fairies
This Mexican horror film terrified me as a kid, even though I was too young to realize how good of a movie it was. Verónica, an orphan, resides with her disabled grandma and superstitious nanny in a dilapidated village.
The nanny feeds her creepy tales of witches, which Verónica oddly finds comforting. She imagines herself as a witch, feeling superior to the girls at her catholic school who alienate her for being weird. When wealthy new girl Flavia arrives, Verónica covets her wealth and affectionate parents.
To impress Flavia, Verónica boasts about her witchery, initially met with skepticism but eventually fear. As Verónica’s curses turn fatal, Flavia becomes her terrified pawn. Verónica’s control escalates as she demands participation in a sinister plan to create poison for the fairies.
- Filmed in: 1986
- Directed by: Carlos Enrique Taboada
- Cast: Ana Patricia Rojo, Elsa María Gutiérrez
20. Even the Wind is Afraid
Considered a cult film in Mexico, Even the Wind Is Afraid breathed new life into Mexican horror. The movie centers on the life of Claudia, who attends a girls’ boarding school and wakes to a voice calling her name.
She sees the ghost of a hanged woman, and later, the school’s dark history unravels. Despite eerie occurrences, the headmistress refuses to acknowledge the supernatural. As tensions rise, secrets about a deceased former student, Andrea, emerge, leading to a chilling climax.
The movie delves into guilt, hauntings, and a spine-tingling twist. With spooky encounters, the story sends shivers down your spine, keeping you on edge till the end. There was a remake in 2007, but it was not quite as good as the original.
- Filmed in: 1968
- Directed by: Carlos Enrique Taboada
- Cast: Marga López, Maricruz Olivier
21. Cronos
Guillermo del Toro is internationally famous for his monster movies, and this one, his first feature film, is one of the 100 best Mexican movies in history.
The story is about the antique dealer Jesús Gris who finds an ancient artifact that grants him youth and vitality at the cost of an insatiable thirst for blood. Meanwhile, a dying tycoon, Dieter De la Guardia, obsessed with the device, dispatches his nephew, Angel, to retrieve it from Gris.
The antique dealer, unwilling to surrender the artifact, safeguards it from Dieter’s grasp, endangering his granddaughter, Aurora.
- Filmed in: 1996
- Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
- Cast: Federico Luppi and Ron Perlman
Best Mexican Romance Movies
22. Tear This Heart Out
Based on Ángeles Mastretta’s 1985 novel, Tear This Heart Out was a big deal in Mexican cinema, costing an impressive 6.5 million dollars at the time, and now ranks as the second most expensive.
Despite the big budget, it raked in 75 million pesos at the box office, making it the seventh highest-grossing film. It was Mexico’s pick for the 2009 Oscars, but narrowly missed out on a nomination.
The film follows Catalina Guzmán de Ascencio’s struggles against her husband’s oppression in 1930s Mexico. Catalina, played by Ana Claudia Talancón, clashes with her husband’s oppressive nature, leading to a gripping tale of power dynamics, rebellion, and tragic love affairs.
- Filmed in: 2008
- Directed by: Roberto Sneider
- Cast: Ana Claudia Talancón, Daniel Giménez Cacho, José María de Tavira
23. Like Water For Chocolate
Like Water for Chocolate is based on a book on Mexico, by Laura Esquivel. It’s a story about Tita, a woman dealing with life in the early 1900s.
There’s love, family drama, and some serious cooking skills involved. Tita’s life gets complicated when her mom tells her she can’t get married and has to look after her. But then things get wild with secret affairs, tragic deaths, and even a bit of magic cooking.
Ultimately, it’s all about love and family traditions, with some seriously intense twists and turns. It’s an emotional rollercoaster full of delicious Mexican food, just like the book it’s based on!
- Filmed in: 1992
- Directed by: Alfonso Arau
- Cast: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné
24. Dance of the 41
Dance of the 41 stars three acting masters from modern Mexican cinema. This movie, set in the Porfiriato era, highlights a pivotal moment in the history of the LGBTQ+ community in our country.
This movie depicts the infamous police raid at the derogatorily termed “inverted dance” in 1901 during the Porfiriato. Alfonso Herrera plays Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, the son-in-law of Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, while Mabel Cadena plays Amada Díaz, his illegitimate daughter.
- Filmed in: 2020
- Directed by: David Pablos
- Cast: Alfonso Herrera Rodriguez, Emiliano Zurita, Mabel Cadena
25. Frida
Frida, the movie, was praised by the critics and even received two Oscars for its makeup and fantastic music.
The story vividly depicts the life of Frida Kahlo, one of the most famous Mexican artists of all time. It starts with the gnarly bus accident that left her bedbound. She finds solace in painting, catches the eye of muralist Diego Rivera, and they dive into a messy love affair. They jet-set to New York, but her life goes south with a miscarriage and a mural disaster.
There’s drama with affairs, Trotsky, and even an arrest scare, but eventually, they patch things up, despite Frida’s deteriorating health.
- Filmed in: 2002
- Directed by: Julie Taymor
- Cast: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina
Best Mexican-American Movies
26. Babel
The story of Babel starts with two Moroccan kids messing around with their dad’s rifle, accidentally hitting an American tourist.
It sets off a chain of events involving a deaf Japanese girl, American tourists in Morocco, and a Mexican nanny in the US. Each group lives through their trials, seemingly connected yet unaware of each other. In Morocco, the boys experiment with the rifle, causing chaos.
Meanwhile, the investigation leads to a poignant portrayal of modern life’s complexities in Japan. In the US/Mexico part, the nanny struggles to care for her employer’s children, leading to a border-crossing fiasco with unexpected consequences. The tale weaves cultural contrasts and human struggles into a gripping narrative.
- Filmed in: 2006
- Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Adriana Barraza
27. Coco
Coco is a vibrant Pixar animated film centered on Miguel, a 12-year-old boy accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead.
With a predominantly Latin voice cast, it follows his quest to find his deceased musician great-great-grandfather and reverse his family’s music ban. Inspired by Mexico’s Day of the Dead, the movie captures the essence of the celebration, thanks to extensive research trips to various Mexican states.
Praised for its animation, heartfelt story, and cultural authenticity, it garnered over $800 million at the box office. The delightful soundtrack, led by “Remember Me,” earned the film two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
- Filmed in: 2017
- Directed by: Lee Unkrich
- Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
28. Man on Fire
Man on Fire is a gripping action-drama flick set in Mexico City. It stars Denzel Washington as John Creasy, a former U.S. Marine and CIA agent turned bodyguard for young Lupita Ramos.
Despite his initial disinterest, Creasy forms a tender friendship with Lupita, acting as a substitute parent when her own is absent. However, tragedy strikes when Lupita is kidnapped, and Creasy is gravely injured in his attempt to stop it. Creasy tracks down the criminals in his quest for revenge and uncovers a complex web of corruption.
- Filmed in: 2004
- Directed by: Tony Scott
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken
Best Mexican Documentaries
29. Tempestad
Tempestad delves into the realities of organized crime and justice in Mexico through the compelling stories of Miriam and Adela.
Miriam, wrongly accused of human trafficking, endures the brutality of a cartel-dominated prison, while Adela, a circus clown, tirelessly searches for her missing daughter for a decade. This eye-opening film was a contender for the prestigious Oscars and Goya Awards in 2018 and won the Best Director accolade at the 2017 Ariel Awards.
Spanning 105 minutes, Tempestad powerfully captures the resilience of these two women in the face of Mexico’s daunting violence and insecurity, showcasing their refusal to accept this harsh reality.
- Filmed in: 2016
- Directed by: Tatiana Huezo
30. Lorena, Light-Footed Woman
Sometimes the best stories are real stories, which can also come with film, as some of the best Mexican movies are documentaries like this one – Lorena, Light-Footed Woman. I’m all about documentaries; this one’s a short but spirited tale.
Juan Carlos Rulfo takes you into the daily life of a character you’ve probably seen on the news: Lorena, a runner who has taken part in international marathons wearing her traditional sandals.
Lorena is a Mexican long-distance runner from the Tarahumara ethnic group who live in the Copper Canyon in Mexico. A great spot to learn more about the Tarahumara is Creel, the gateway into the Copper Canyon. You can watch this documentary on Netflix.
- Filmed in: 2019
- Directed by: Juan Carlos Rulfo
What Are Your Favorite Mexican Movies?
For me, the best Mexican movies tick all the boxes: great storyline, topnotch acting, and world-class cinematography. I like watching horror movies like Del Toro’s filmography and intense history dramas like Tear This Heart Out, and I can’t ever say no to a good comedy like We Are The Nobles and Todo Mal.
Each one of the moves in this list showcases aspects of Mexico that I hope the world can see. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments field below. I’ll be more than happy to answer them! For those who are planning to travel more of Mexico, check out some of these articles:
- 30 Best Books about Mexico
- 25 Most Famous Mexican Artists
- 30 Mexican Historical Facts
- 10 Spectacular Waterfalls in Mexico
- 10 Best Hot Springs in Mexico
- 30 Things to Do in San Miguel de Allende
- 30 Fun Things to Do in Guanajuato
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