The Top 3 Latino Films of 2023

2023 was a landmark year for Latino cinema. It saw the release of DC’s ‘Blue Beetle,’ the first major superhero film with a Latino lead, marking a historic milestone. Meanwhile, films such as Gael García Bernal’s lucha libre drama ‘Cassandro,’ and Pablo Larrain’s ‘El Conde,’ a fantastical Chilean political satire, also achieved critical acclaim on the festival circuit. These Top 3 Latino Films of 2023 demonstrated the broad appeal of Latino stories, resonating with both indie and mainstream audiences.

But the Hollywood film industry has historically failed to see the artistic merit and commercial potential of our stories and experiences. The constant underrepresentation, underrecognition, and underfunding of Latino films are proof of this. Yet, despite these systemic hurdles, this year’s Latino films give us a hopeful glimpse into the future of American Latino cinema in the coming decade.

Actor Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes as the first Latino superhero in Blue Beetle.

My Top 3 Latino Films of 2023

In my end-of-year episode of ‘Brown & Black,’ I had the opportunity to spotlight my top three Latino films of 2023. These films touched on everything from reinventing tired immigrant stories to questioning the systems that dictate Latino life, and the extent to which our culture and identity define us. More importantly, what truly makes these movies noteworthy to me is how they present a side of the Latino experience I rarely see on screen, challenging my perceptions in the process but also offering a renewed sense of wonder and possibility.

“At The Gates”: A Fresh Take on Immigration (Picturehouse, streaming soon)

The first film on my list is “At The Gates,” a thought-provoking and suspenseful movie that turns the typical Latino immigrant story on its head and shows us that humanity knows no borders. Written and directed by Augustus Meleo Bernstein in his feature film debut, it stars newcomer Ezequiel Pacheco alongside Vanessa Benavente, Miranda Otto, and Noah Wiley. It follows a wealthy white family secretly harboring their undocumented housekeeper and her DACA son from ICE agents. The story quickly morphs from a simple act of kindness to a psychological maze, leaving us to wonder who is truly the captive. Paced like a thriller, “At The Gates” doesn’t have clear-cut heroes or villains. Instead, it skillfully probes the grey areas of human nature, urging us to examine our assumptions, and our biases, and realize we are all far more alike than different.

Ezequiel Pacheco and Vanessa Benavente in ‘At The Gates’

“Radical”: A Story of Hope and Transformation (Pantelion, soon on VIX)

Next on my list is “Radical,” a film inspired by a true story from Wired Magazine. It stars Eugenio Derbez as Sergio Juarez, a passionate and defiant Mexican teacher determined to transform the lives of his sixth-grade students in one of Mexico’s poorest schools. Writer-director Christopher Zala takes a grittier approach to the teacher-student genre compared to Robert Menendez’s ‘Stand and Deliver,’ immersing us directly in the lives of these young dreamers and compelling us to empathize with their struggles. Derbez delivers a fantastic performance in his first dramatic role, but the portrayal of the children is one of the film’s highlights, bringing a raw energy to the screen that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. “Radical” is a feel-good movie about the transformative impact one teacher can have on the lives of his students, and it sparks crucial conversations about education, parenting, and the privileges we often take for granted.

Eugenio Derbez in ‘Radical’

“They Shot the Piano Player”: A Musical and Historical Journey (Sony Pictures Classics, streaming soon)

My third and final pick is the animated docudrama “They Shot the Piano Player” where bossa nova meets animation. Directed by the Oscar-nominated duo behind “Chico and Rita,” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal take us through a musical journey in a politically turbulent 1960s and 70s Latin America in search of a crime that may never be solved. Jeff Goldblum voices a New York music journalist investigating the mysterious death of Francisco Tenorio Jr., a Brazilian pianist whose virtuosity was tragically cut short. But why? Weaving history and music, “They Shot the Piano Player” invites us to witness the birth of bossa nova against the backdrop of a crime mystery. While the pacing occasionally takes its time, the true significance of this movie lies in its power to transport us, not just to a specific time and place, but to the very heart of a musical movement.

‘They Shot The Piano Player’

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