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When you look up at the movie screen, what do you see?
Do you see someone who looks like you? Do you see someone you can relate to? Do you hear someone who speaks like you do?
Everyone deserves to be represented as the hero of the story, but for decades Latinos and Latino stories have been often left out by Hollywood.
However, some stories have come along to break the mold and rewrite what it means to be a Latino in the film industry.
Pioneers have given Latino movie creators and artists pathways to come up with stories that celebrate and honor the diversity of Latino culture.
These stories offer a deeper insight into the Latino experience and the challenges many must overcome to reach their dreams.
From animated box office hits that uplift to biopics that inspire, here are 11 movies that capture the spirit, tenacity, and strength of Latinos that you should add to your watch list during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond.
1. Blue Beetle
This 2023 superhero film leaps straight off the glossy pages of a DC comic books and on to the screen.
Blue Beetle tells the tale of Jamie Reyes, a recent college graduate who is selected by an ancient alien relic to receive a suit of armor imbued with superhuman powers.
Boasting a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, Blue Beetle rises above its superhero movie predecessors by being the first live-action superhero film with a Latino lead, Xolo Maridueña of Cobra Kai fame.
With a majority Latino cast and crew, the 14th film in the DC Universe showcases a diversity within the Latino culture, depicting several different Latino characters from various backgrounds, including nationalities, immigration statuses, and socio-economic statuses, according to a Latino Rebels review.
The film shot at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia, with locations in Puerto Rico, and El Paso, Texas, is available for streaming on HBO Max.
2. Encanto
This enchanting, animated movie by Disney charmed audiences everywhere with its vibrant visuals and catchy tunes worthy of any family sing-along.
The animated movie set in the mountains of Colombia tells the story of the Madrigals, who’ve been blessed with magical gifts, which they use to help people living in the rural community of Encanto.
When the main character Mirabel, who is the only family member without a gift, learns that the family is losing their powers, she sets out on a journey to save the family and the house they live in.
From the bright costumes and colorful backgrounds to the music rooted in Colombian culture, Encanto celebrates the Latin American culture that often goes left unrepresented by Hollywood, according to an article in The Williams Record.
The film also resonates with audiences for its honest depiction of traditional Latino family dynamics, especially in Colombian families, where doing things for your family to show prove your love is expected, according to the article.
The film took home the statue for Best Animated Feature at the 94th Academy Awards and holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Encanto is available to stream on Disney+.
3. Coco
Another film from Disney, Coco is set during the annual Day of the Dead celebration.
Aspiring musician, Miguel wants to be just like his musical idol. However, his family’s sordid past with musicians leads to a ban on music.
On the Day of the Dead, Miguel accidentally bumps into the family ofrenda and breaks a photo, which reveals a piece of the family’s secret. Believing he shares a familial connection with his idol, Miguel sets out to tell his family of his musical dreams and his guitar is destroyed.
This sets off a chain reaction that leads Miguel to steal a guitar from his idol. When played, the guitar transports him to the land of the dead, where he encounters his deceased relatives, who hold the key to his return to the land of the living.
Using Day of the Dead as allows the animated film to explore traditional Latino family dynamics, the importance of legacy and honor, and cultural heritage.
As a result, Coco stands as a tear-jerking reminder of why the accurate portrayal of Latino culture in film is necessary in Hollywood.
The film with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes that picked up two awards at the 90th Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature Film, can be streamed on Disney+.
4. Selena
Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla (Pérez) was a cultural icon.
Hailed as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena broke barriers in the male-dominated industry of Tejano music as a Latina.
During her career, the internationally recognized singer broke several Tejano music records, had multiple no. 1 hits on the Latin music charts, and even earned her a Grammy for Best Mexican/American Album.
While working on her crossover album, Selena’s life was tragically cut short when she was murdered by a friend and former manager of her boutiques.
The singer’s life and legacy is archived on screen in the 1997 film, Selena.
The titular role is played by Jennifer Lopez, another Latina music icon. Her performance in the film helped launch Lopez’s career and marked the rise of her stardom.
The biopic is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
5. La Bamba
Another entry based on the life of a Latino musical icon, La Bamba follows the life and career of Ritchie Valens, who helped pioneer the Spanish-speaking rock and roll genre.
The film’s title was taken from Valens’ most famous song, a rock and roll version of a traditional Mexican folk song by the same name.
La Bamba achieves the rock and roller’s life, which begins as a teen of a low-income family who he helps by working as a farmhand after school while dreaming of one day becoming a rock star.
After a mid-air plane collision over his school that claimed the life of a dear friend, Valens developed aviophobia, or a fear of flying, which was an ongoing struggle for the rising star.
The rest of the film plays out the musician’s short-lived career leading up to the tragedy that would take his life and the lives of several other notable musicians of the era. It was aptly dubbed “The Day the Music Died.”
In 2017, the movie was added into the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress for its cultural and historical significance.
The movie can be watched for free on the streaming site Tubi.
6. Roma
This black and white cinematic masterpiece tells the story of a live-in housekeeper to an upper-middle-class Mexican family and serves as a semi-autobiographical look into Mexican film maker Alfonso Cuarón’s upbringing in Mexico City.
The Spanish-language drama released in 2018 by Netflix covers a year in the life of the housekeeper and her family, which slowly begins to unravel over the course of the film and reaches its climax with the Corpus Christi massacre.
Roma broke barriers at the 91st Academy Awards by being the fifth foreign language film to be nominated in both the Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film categories.
The movie garnered 10 nominations at the award show, putting it on par with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as the most nominated foreign language film. It also brought acclaim and recognition for Cuarón, who became the first person to win Best Director and Best Cinematography for the same film.
Roma holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is available exclusively on Netflix.
7. Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver is a biographical drama based on the true story of a high school math teacher, Jaime Escalante.
Escalante teaches at a high school located in East Los Angeles, which is home to many working-class Latino families. Due to the economic disadvantages, many of the students are struggling in school.
While Escalante experiences a cold welcome from his students, he slowly begins to win them over and improves their grades in the process.
Edward James Olmos’ portrayal of Escalante in the film earned him a Best Actor nomination at the 61st Academy Awards.
This entry on our list is also another culturally and historically relevant film that made it a perfect addition to the National Film Registry.
The 1988 classic has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to watch for free on Tubi.
8. Real Women Have Curves
Long before Latina actress America Ferrara was delivering a sentiment women across the world could relate to in the box office hit Barbie, she was challenging traditional beauty ideals in Real Women Have Curves.
This 2002 coming of age story follows the life of female protagonist Ana García, a teenager on the verge of adulthood having to balance familial obligations in the family textile shop and her dreams of attending college.
Ana must juggle an overbearing mother with lopsided views of beauty while being pushed to help with the family business as the family struggles to stay afloat.
This independent film holds up as a brutally honest look at what it means to be a modern-day Latina and the challenges they face and celebrates women of all shapes and sizes.
The critically acclaimed movie with a rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes can be viewed on HBO Max.
9. A Million Miles Away
Many dream of touching the stars, but few get to experience it for themselves.
Except José M. Hernández, who not only achieved his dream of becoming an astronaut but was the first Mexican American to do it.
Based on Hernández’s autobiography Reaching for the Stars, A Million Miles Away chronicles the life of the astronaut, who is played by Michael Peña.
Hernández begins his life as the son of migrant workers picking grapes in California to save money to buy a house back in Mexico, a plan that is quickly changesd when the family realized they don’t get paid enough.
While helping his family, he goes to school and graduates from university and gets hired as an engineer at a lab, where he is often overlooked. One day he gets an opportunity to join a team helping NASA, which would look really good on a NASA space program application. After several tries, he is eventually accepted into the program and while he struggles with training, he overcomes it as selected to be part of a space team.
From migrant farmworker to astronaut, this film is representative of Latinos overcoming adversity to achieve the unimaginable.
A Million Miles Away boasts an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
10. Flamin’ Hot
It should come as no surprise that the mind behind Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is Latino.
Adapted from the memoir A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive by Richard Montañez, Flamin’ Hot takes audiences on the journey of how a janitor at Frito-Lay invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
The main character, Richard, who is played by Jesse Garcia, takes a special interest in the machines that churn out the factory’s products and learns how they operate.
Emboldened by a message from the company’s CEO on thinking big, Richard takes home some unflavored snacks and begins experimenting with spices often found in Mexican street corn.
When he’s finally ready to pitch his product, he’s initially not taken seriously, but the snack is put into production to little success. Unable to find its intended customer base, Richard changes tactics and takes it to the Latino community where it becomes a flavorful sensation.
While Montañez’s claim of being the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has been disputed by Frito-Lay, the biopic’s true counterpart remains firm on his mark on the snack industry.
The film directed by Eva Longoria is another story of overcoming racism, financial hardship, and adversity to become a millionaire and inspiration to many.
Flamin’ Hot stands at a rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and is exclusively available to watch on streaming sites Disney+, Hulu, and Tubi.
11. The Long Game
Based on the novel Mustang Miracle, this American sports story of the 1957 Texas state champion golf team.
Set in Del Rio, Texas, a group of Mexican American students enthralled with the game of golf come together to form the San Felipe Mustangs golf team and created their own course.
However, to make the team official, they must play at a White country club, where they are met with deep –rooted prejudice, according to Wikipedia.
In the end, they overcame every obstacle, including not having the best equipment, thrown their way to make it to the top.
The film, touted by one critic as the “A Field of Dreams set in the world of golf,” was given an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and can be found on Netflix.
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