Even before calls for more Latino representation in television and film, Latino film production was influential in US culture. And in 2023, we saw an increase in Latino projects and all-Latino casts. Some of these movies were great, some did the best with what they were given, and some were literally historic. One thing is for sure: Latino filmmakers have a lot to say and many, many stories to tell — we just need the space and funding to do it well.
From the first Latino superhero portrayed in film to explorations of queer Latino lives, 2023 was full of important stories to add to your watchlist. While we wish there were more Latinx films focused on female, non-binary, and black Latinx characters this year, Latina filmmakers made history, entertained audiences, and told essential stories. Below, we’ve rounded up the five best Latin movies of 2023.
Blue beetleAvailable to stream on Max
Puerto Rican director Angel Manuel Soto delivers a historical DC superhero film Blue beetle. Recent Mexican-American graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returns to his hometown of Palmera City to learn that his family is facing eviction due to poverty. Later, Reyes finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. Once the Beetle chooses Jaime to be his symbiotic host and grants him a super-cool suit of armor that has unpredictable and incredible powers, he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle, changing his destiny forever. The all-Latino cast also includes George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillenand much more in this powerful story of Latin American family, gentrification, colonialism, indigenization, and revolutionary movements.
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universeAvailable to stream on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe It’s a queer coming-of-age film that tells the story of two Mexican-American teenagers in El Paso, Texas, in the late 1980s, as they struggle with their intense friendship, their own identities, and their class differences. Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (Max Pelagius) is a bad-tempered teenager who knows Dante Quintana (Reese Gonzalez) in the public pool. Despite being two very different people, the two teenagers hit it off immediately and begin a passionate friendship.
CassandroAvailable to stream on Amazon Prime video
In the movie Cassandro, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal assumes his role Saul Armendariz — better known by his stage name, Cassandro — an openly gay Mexican luchador who rose to prominence in the early 1990s in El Paso, Texas. In this biopic, Armendáriz’s complex story honors the sport and art form that is the Mexican lucha libre scene, as well as the entertainers who shaped the industry. Although foreigners may see lucha libre as violent, the film shows how much of the sport is performance and entertainment, and something the Mexican public is and should be proud of. Importantly, the film does not hesitate to show the homophobia the wrestler suffered.
A million miles awayAvailable to stream on Amazon Prime video
Telling his story Jose Hernandezthe inspiring journey of migrant farmer to NASA astronaut; A million miles away it is a triumphant production. Directed and written by a Mexican director Alejandra Marquez Abella (Northern Skies over Empty Space; The good girls) and stars Michael Peña As Hernández, this film is a moving story of heritage, drive, distinction and family support. Spanning decades of his life, the film explores Hernandez’s determination and hard work to travel into space, a dream he has pursued since childhood.
Miguel wants to fight, Available to stream on Hulu
In this sweet coming-of-age comedy, Miguel (Tyler Dean Flores) lives in a neighborhood where kids are constantly fighting with each other. His story begins with a personal dilemma: The high school student managed to stay away from any physical altercations until that moment. His friends, who aren’t shy about protecting themselves when teenage aggression strikes, point out that it’s nearly impossible to stay out of fights in their neighborhood and at their high school — it’s basically a rite of passage. When Miguel finds out his parents want to move out of the neighborhood in a week, so does his mom — played by the amazing (and generally underused) Andrea Navedo — might get a brand new, better-paying job in Albany, the teenager eavesdrops on his father (Raul Castillo) to state that his son will do better in a new, more peaceful environment. Suddenly, Miguel becomes determined to fight to show that he is part of his community.
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