17 Mexican Movies on Netflix Streaming (2019)

1. Roma (2018)

This Oscar-winning Netflix epic directed by Alfonso Cuarón delivers a vivid, emotional portrait of domestic life and social hierarchy set against Mexico’s political turmoil of the 1970s.

2. Coco (2017)

OK, this Oscar-winning Pixar production isn’t strictly a Mexican movie, but it’s a love letter to the traditions, music, and people of Mexico. Its authenticity and warmth of spirit won viewers’ hearts and made it the biggest blockbuster in Mexican history.

Be sure to switch the audio to Spanish.

3.  Desierto (2015)

Tense survival thriller about a group of illegal border crossers hunted by a deranged Confederate-flag waving vigilante. Eerily relevant in today’s political climate.

4. El Alien y Yo (2016)

Hoping to reinvent their sound, a punk band hires Pepe, a keyboardist with Down syndrome, but jealousies erupt when he steals the show. Heart-warming comedy with a great soundtrack.

5. Mexicanos de Bronce (2016)

This gritty, absorbing documentary follows three prisoners who try to overcome feelings of despair and make sense of their lives behind bars — and on the outside — through rap.

6. La Dictadura Perfecta (2014)

Hilarious Mexican box-office smash by the director of Infierno about political corruption and media collusion with the government. The themes of this satire are universal, however. A long film but not a dull moment.

7. 07:19 La Hora del Temblor (7:19) (2016)

Gritty, claustrophobic survival thriller. After a devastating earthquake hits Mexico City, trapped survivors from all walks of life wait to be rescued while trying desperately to stay alive.

The film’s title reflects the exact time when the devastating Sept. 19, 1985, Mexico City earthquake began.

8. La 4ª Compañía (2016)

Intensely violent and fascinating prison film based on real events. A young inmate in Mexico’s most notorious penitentiary joins the prison’s American football team, which doubles as a death squad for the corrupt administration.

9. El Club de los Insomnes (2018)

Original rom-com about an insomniac, an aspiring photographer, and a pregnant veterinarian who form a unique friendship during late-night meetings at a 24-hour mini-mart.

10. Ayotzinapa, el Paso de la Tortuga (2018)

A documentary about 43 Mexican students forcibly disappeared after being violently detained by police, and the unsatisfactory slow investigation that followed both at state and federal levels. Oscar-winning Mexican director Guillermo del Toro co-produced the film to ensure these voices are heard.

11. Bellas de Noche (2016)

Poignant portrait of the vedettes, former queens of the racy Mexican burlesque scene. A compassionate examination of what the aging process means for women in a profession in which success is predicated on youthful beauty and erotic appeal.

12. Verónica (2017)

Disturbing psychological thriller artfully shot in black and white about a reclusive psychologist who agrees to treat a troubled patient at her remote cabin. Not to be confused with the Spanish horror movie of the same name. Builds at a slow, suspenseful pace to an astonishing twist at the end.

13. Semana Santa (2015)

A single mother, her boyfriend and her young son take a weeklong resort vacation, during which relationship strains take their toll. A keenly observed film with subtle depth that examines dysfunctional family secrets against the backdrop of a decaying Acapulco.

Powerful and chilling film about teenage girls kidnapped and forced into prostitution in Tijuana.

15. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

16. Almacenados (2015)

Award-winning absurd comedy featuring acclaimed Mexican actor José Carlos Ruiz about two employees in a enormous empty warehouse where apparently nothing ever happens. This deceptively simple, slow-paced film pays off with its fine writing and superb acting. The dialogue is nicely paced for Spanish learners.

17. Estar o No Estar (2016)

Set in the beautiful Pueblo Mágico of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, this film tells the story of a lonely, ill man who recalls a brief but powerful past romance with a kindred spirit, a young Russian woman.

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