15 Latino Movies You Probably Didn’t See in 2018, But Should

For many, this year in cinema will be forever marked by the release of Alfonso Cuarón‘s first Spanish-language film since 2001. But we wanted to make sure that whether you’ve already made plans to catch Roma on the big screen or were waiting to stream it once it hits Netflix ahead of its Oscar-bound awards run, you had plenty of other ideas of what films to catch up on from 2018.

We’ve been championing a lot of these for months. There’s that powerful adaptation of Justin Torres’ autobiographical novel that earned Raúl Castillo a well-earned Indie Spirit nomination. There’s yet another Gael García Bernal vehicle that reminded us why he’s one the best actors of his generation. And even a indigenous drug cartel flick that hoped to upend all those Narcos narratives you’ve grown accustomed to. They’re all singular achievements. Together, they stress just how rich the vast tapestry of what we call Latino and Latin American cinema looks like in 2018.

From feminist coming-of-age tales set in Colombia and New York to a pair of electric thrillers that put police brutality and criminal justice at the center of their stories, the list below encompasses as wide a net as you can dream up. You’ll find Sundance gems, Cannes favorites, and, as always, 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!

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 US-born Latinos, Latin Americans, and by non-Latinos, but on Latino subjects.