From El Santo to Blue Demon: 8 Classic Luchador Movies You Should Stream on Pantaya
Art by Alan Lopez for Remezcla
Luchador films are a genre onto itself. Starting with 1952’s Huracán Ramírez, a number of savvy filmmakers decided to capitalize on the popularity of Mexican wrestlers and create film vehicles for these masked luchadores that functioned as outlandish and action-packed big-screen serials. With a low budget and featuring choreographed fist fights with some of the country’s most well-known fighters including El Santo (Rodolfo Guzman Huerta) and Blue Demon (Alejandro Muñoz Moreno), these films became cult hits in the ’60s and ’70s.
The plots are hilariously absurd (these masked wrestlers get to fend off vampires, zombies, and hellish spiders!) and the women are as voluptuous as you’d expect from B-movie casting calls. But they remain a fascinating curiosity in Mexican cinema history—there truly is nothing quite like them. So if you’ve been meaning to see what all the fuss is about these gritty luchador flicks, then new streaming service Pantaya has you covered. In addition to showcasing newer Spanish-language fare, the Netflix-like platform is devoted to highlighting gems from Mexico’s vast film vault. And so, for your giggling enjoyment, we offer this list of luchador films from their heyday (and one modern animated twist on them!) that you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
All the films in the list below are available to stream on Pantaya.
