15 Latino Films You May Have Missed In Theaters That You Can Now Stream Online
'El abrazo de la serpiente.' Courtesy of the filmmakers.
Scores of characters in spandex and capes fought to capture this summer’s box office, but their efforts were unsuccessful, as 2016 has become a dismal symbol of studio productions gone wrong. Granted, some of these turkeys did line executives’ pockets, but the critical response has been savage. The antidote is, and has always been, independent and international cinema – and this year Latin American and US Latino offerings are among the best of the crop.
During the first six months of 2016, a few dozen of these titles were theatrically released in the United States to great acclaim. Some had already won prizes at highly regarded international festivals and were even nominated for an Academy Award or a Golden Globe before hitting US screens. With one-week engagements only in major cities, it’s no surprise that some might have escaped the radars of even the most avid cinephile. Luckily, we have compiled a list of 15 films with Latin American or US Latino content (regardless of the filmmaker’s ethnicity) that you may have missed when they hit theaters earlier this year. There is an Irish production set in Cuba, a border tale directed by a gringo, and a film about a Russian in Mexico from a British lad.
Most of these films are now available to watch at home on a variety of streaming platforms and, for those that still appreciate tangible media, on DVD and Blu-ray. Take a look at our picks and you’ll change your mind about how terrible 2016 has been at the movies. It’s actually been great; you just weren’t looking in the right place.