15 Latino Movies You Probably Didn’t See in 2017, But Should

We’re creeping towards the end of 2017 and while there were plenty (okay, a lot) of things that will have us wishing we could put this year squarely behind us, cinema is not one of them. Any year that gives us a wickedly political Guillermo del Toro adult fairy tale, a Día de Muertos-set Pixar gem, and a hilarious Karla Souza bicultural and bilingual rom-com should be celebrated no matter the political hellfire into which they were released.

As usual though, there are several films from Latin America and produced here in the U.S. by and for Latinos that you’ve probably missed. Sure, you don’t need reminding that Eugenio Derbez was at it again trying his hand at mainstream comedy and upending Latino stereotypes but we wanted to highlight the kinds of projects that don’t quite get the press that some of these more mainstream flicks do. It’s why we came up with a foolproof guide to 2017’s Latino films you should catch up with. They encompass the varied work being produced by some of the best in the business.

From a tour-de-force character study starring breakout trans Chilean actresses to an uplifting documentary about a civil rights heroine, the list includes Sundance, Cannes, and Berlin film festival darlings, Ariel Award winners, and plenty of Oscar submissions in the Foreign Language Film category. So consider adding them all to your personal must-watch list; some are already available to stream! — Manuel Betancourt

Editor’s Note: The process behind selecting these films was complicated and akin to a hotly contested election in Latin America including back-room deals and occasional bribery. Eventually, we agreed on a totally unfair system of rating the movies we liked that played in U.S. theaters or prestigious film festivals throughout the year and may have won some awards. We chose to include films directed by American-born Latinos, Latin Americans, and by non-Latinos, but on Latino subjects and tried to be as inclusive as possible in terms of genre, region, and themes.