The best films of Latin American cinema

Latin American cinema is rich in social, historical themes and much more, providing a journey through Latin history and cultural diversity. With a variety of award-winning works, this cinematic setting offers a rich and in-depth view of the region. To help you explore this universe, we have compiled a selection of films from Latin America which are considered unmissable!

A brief history of Latin American cinematography

The origin of Latin American cinema was boosted at the end of the 19th century with the arrival of filming equipment in the territory, after its popularization in Europe. However, its consolidation occurred later, specifically in the 1960s, coinciding with political and social movements that challenged the current military regimes. At that time, films from Latin America became a critical, anti-imperialist and nationalist voice, reflecting on peripheral realities.

Initially, the focus was on experimentation and breaking with narrative and discursive conventions, influenced by the European artistic avant-garde. However, in the 1970s, with military regimes and censorship, the works began to adapt to the imposed moralism, moving away from previous experiments. In the following decades, there was an appreciation of technical and narrative quality, with an emphasis on portraying people and their realities, without abandoning political and social issues. With such relevance, some Latin American films were even nominated for the Oscar, like the Brazilian Central do Brasil and the argentine The Secret of Your Eyes.

The concept of cinema Third World, coined in the 1960s, left a legacy of films engaged and concerned with ideological issues, contributing to the diversification and democratization of film production. Given this, throughout the history of Latin cinema, acclaimed directors such as the Brazilian filmmaker Glauber Rocha They have become references in their countries of origin and internationally, inspiring filmmakers from all over the world to explore diverse themes and aesthetics.

Best movies

Latin American cinema is rich in great cinematographic works that have marked the history of the seventh art. Check out a selection of the best films below!

the maid

The Chilean film The Nana (The Maid) presents Raquel (Catalina Saavedra), who has worked as a maid and nanny for a family for 23 years. Despite being considered 'family', the girl still lives in the back room and eats her meals alone. Over the years, she has developed intimacy with the residents and criticizes their attitudes, causing conflicts with her teenage daughter. Even so, the family's mother does not consider firing her, preferring to hire an assistant.

IMDb Note: 7,3/10

Where to watch: Mubi

The Useful Life – A Cinema Tale

The Uruguayan film stars Jorge (Jorge Jellinek), a 45-year-old man who still lives with his parents. For the past 25 years, he has worked in the archives department at Cinemateca Montevideo, where he was responsible for film programming, technical support and hosting a radio program. After losing his job, Jorge tries to change his lifestyle to adapt to a new world. However, on this journey, he discovers that only films can help him survive.

IMDb Note: 6,4/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

Storm

Among the greatest films in Latin America, the Mexican one stands out Storm. In the plot, two women travel together and share their experiences about fear in human life. As they explore Mexico from north to south, they reveal how violence influences people's lives, desires and dreams.

IMDb Note: 7,8/10

Where to watch: Mubi

Central do Brasil

The Brazilian classic that earned the actress Fernanda Montenegro an indication to the Oscar introduces Dora, an embittered former teacher who works writing letters to illiterate people, but her secret is that she doesn't send them. One day, a nine-year-old boy named Josué, the son of one of his clients, is left alone after his mother dies in a traffic accident.

IMDb Note: 8,0/10

Where to watch: balloon play

No

No takes place in Chile 1988, when the dictatorial government calls a plebiscite to find out whether the population supports the military. In this context, an advertiser is hired for the “No” campaign, bringing bold ideas to convince the people to put an end to the military regime.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Zinc alloy

In this work, Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) is an official of the Spanish Crown at the end of the 18th century, with an intense desire to leave for Buenos Aires. To achieve this goal, he joins a group of soldiers in search of a dangerous bandit who explores distant lands inhabited by wild Indians.

IMDb Note: 7,4/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Pan's Labyrinth

The Mexican classic Pan's Labyrinth could not be left out of the list of Latin American films. Located in Spain From 1944, the film follows young Ofélia and her sick mother, who set out to meet her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer determined to suppress a guerrilla movement. Ofelia meets Pan, a faun, who tells her that she may be the legendary lost princess.

IMDb Note: 8,2/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

The Dark Side of the Heart

In this cinematographic work, Oliverio (Dario Grandinetti) is a young poet who maintains complex and problematic relationships with women and life. Along with his two best friends, he leads a bohemian life, selling his ideas to an advertising agency to make money. The rest of the time, he recites verses at a local restaurant and in traffic. Oliverio believes that he could accept anything in a woman, except one essential condition: she must know how to fly.

IMDb Note: 7,4/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Aquarius

Directed by the acclaimed Kleber Mendonça Son, the film features Clara (Sonia Braga), a 65-year-old retired journalist, widow and mother of three adults. For many years, she has lived in an apartment in Recife, where he raised his children and enjoyed the best moments of his life. However, a construction company wants to demolish the building to build a more modern development, but Clara refuses to hand over her apartment. To force her to change her mind, she faces all kinds of harassment.

IMDb Note: 7,4/10

Where to watch: Netflix, balloon play

The sound around

The sound around also unfolds in Recife, where the lives of residents of a middle-class street in the city change drastically when a security company is hired to bring peace to the place. However, the presence of this company can generate more tension than relief for some residents.

IMDb Note: 7,1/10

Where to watch: Netflix, Apple TV

Silent Light

The Mexican work released in 2017 is among the best Latin American films. In it, Johan (Cornelio Wall), a married Mennonite man, advocates radical pacifism along with other members of his community, who reject technological progress. Despite living a moderate life, using cars and benefiting from modern medicine, they refuse to use external communications such as telephone and internet.

IMDb Note: 7,2/10

Where to watch: Mubi

The Castle of Purity

In the movie The Castle of Purity, Gabriel is determined to protect his loved ones from the evils of the world by keeping them locked up at home. There, his wife Beatriz and their children help run the family's rat poison business. However, as children grow up, they begin to question life and the restrictions imposed by their father.

IMDb Note: 7,5/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

City of God

In the Brazilian film, City of God, Buscapé is a young black man, poor and extremely sensitive, who grows up amid violence in the favela of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro. During his childhood, he is faced with the possibility of becoming involved in crime, but is redeemed by his talent as a photographer, paving the way for a career in the profession. Through his lens, he examines life in the favela and the perennial violence that permeates it.

IMDb Note: 8,6/10

Where to watch: Netflix, balloon play

Bad hair

Em Bad hair, Also known as Bad hair in Portuguese, we follow a nine-year-old boy, played by Samuel Lange Zambrano, who dreams of straightening his hair to resemble a long-haired singer he admires. Meanwhile, his mother (Samantha Castillo) faces difficulties in supporting her family after her husband's death, at the same time as she tries to repress her son's unique expression.

IMDb Note: 6,9/10

Where to watch: Mubi

The Secret of Your Eyes

In the Argentine film, Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) retires from his position as a bailiff in a criminal court and, with his free time, decides to write a book. Drawing on his experience reporting tragic stories, he focuses on a case he witnessed in 1974. At the time, the department where he worked was assigned to investigate the rape and murder of a young woman.

IMDb Note: 8,2/10

Where to watch: Star +

nostalgia for light

In the work, astronomers from all over the world meet at the Atacama desert to observe the stars. As professionals investigate the galaxies in search of extraterrestrial life, they are surprised by the presence of women searching for their relatives in the desert land, where human remains remain untouched.

IMDb Note: 7,6/10

Where to watch: Mubi

The Rose Seller

The sensitive Colombian work tells the story of Mônica, a 13-year-old girl who lives on the streets, supporting herself by selling flowers to couples in bars. Medellín. One day, she meets Andrea, a 10-year-old girl who joins Mônica in selling roses, after running away from home after being beaten by her mother.

IMDb Note: 7,9/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

What time does she come back

In the drama, Val (Regina Case) he leaves Pernambuco to move to Sao Paulo, seeking to provide a better life for his daughter, Jessica. In the metropolis, Val works as Fabinho's nanny and lives in her employers' house. Thirteen years later, when Fabinho (Michel Joelsas) is about to take the entrance exam, Jéssica (Camila Márdilla) gets in touch, wanting to go to São Paulo to take the same exam as the bosses' son.

IMDb Note: 7,7/10

Where to watch: Netflix

A Place in the World

In the 1992 Argentine film, Ernesto travels to the province of saint Louis to revisit his childhood and understand the circumstances that shaped his current identity. As a child, his parents chose to go into exile in Buenos Aires to live in a rural community. However, the arrival of a geologist hired to search for oil in the region threatens the way of life of the peasants and Ernesto.

IMDb Note: 7,7/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

motorcycle diaries

In the work that became a landmark, Che Guevara (Available García Bernal) is a young medical student who decides to embark on a journey through South America in 1952, accompanied by his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna). They leave on a motorcycle, which eventually breaks down after 8 months. Faced with this setback, the journey continues through carpooling and walking along the road. During the trip, the two friends encounter a leper colony and begin to question the validity of economic progress in the region, which only benefits a part of the population.

IMDb Note: 7,7/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Bacurau

The Brazilian plot, awarded at the Cannes film festival, describes a near future in which a village in the backlands of Pernambuco mysteriously disappears from the map. This triggers a series of unexplained murders, leaving residents to desperately try to save their lives and their community.

IMDb Note: 7,3/10

Where to watch: balloon play, Apple TV

Strawberry and Chocolate

Em Strawberry and Chocolate, a Cuban student politically involved with the regime of Fidel Castro falls into depression after his girlfriend leaves him. However, his life takes a new turn when he meets Diego, a young homosexual artist who shares his ideas. Initially, the student harbors some prejudice towards his colleague, but soon finds himself fascinated by his ideas.

IMDb Note: 7,4/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

Light After Dark

In the Mexican work, Juan (Adolfo Jiménez Castro) leaves behind life in Mexico City to move with his family to the countryside. Now, they need to adapt to a new lifestyle, facing pleasures and challenges while adjusting to a different reality than what they were used to.

IMDb Note: 6,5/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

earth in trance

In a fictional country in South America, Eldorado, a senator (Paulo Autran) despises his people and aims to become emperor. However, a group of men also desire this power and plan to confront it. In this process, the senator loses one of his main allies, journalist Paulo Martins (Jardel Filho), who switches sides when he realizes the senator's true intentions.

IMDb Note: 7,3/10

Where to watch: Mubi, balloon play

Our Mothers

In 2013, at Guatemala, anthropologist Ernesto investigates the whereabouts of people who disappeared during the military dictatorship. During a visit to an antiques store, he finds a clue that could help him solve the mysterious disappearance of his own father.

IMDb Note: 6,6/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

The Wilderness

The renowned film begins when a meteorite falls in a remote region of the mountains of Mexico. As this occurs, on a nearby plain, a couple in crisis struggle to reconnect, but it seems this can only happen at the cost of their own destruction. However, an external factor emerges, potentially altering the course of their lives and offering answers, both positive and negative, to the challenges they face.

IMDb Note: 6,1/10

Where to watch: Mubi

Rome

Rome It is an essential work on the list of the best Latin American films. The film tells the story of Cleo, Antonio and Sofia's maid, who helps the family raise their four children in the Mexico City. However, complications arise with Antonio's sudden elopement with his lover, while Cleo discovers that she is pregnant.

IMDb Note: 7,7/10

Where to watch: Netflix

Flower

Em Flower, we witness intertwined stories occurring simultaneously. In the first plot, two scientists explore the desert of San Juan in search of fossils, only to come across a pre-Columbian female mummy that begins to haunt them. In the second story, a star pop risks his career, an old duo reunites after years, while a woman administers scorpion poison, resulting in a mysterious outcome.

IMDb Note: 7,4/10

Where to watch: Mubi

Memories of the Loot

The film takes place at the beginning of the 21st century, when Argentina was facing an unprecedented economic crisis. The country was immersed in poverty, corruption, unemployment and a banking collapse. By investigating the past, Fernando Solanas seeks to understand the actions that could have triggered this chaos.

IMDb Note: 7,9/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

The Serpent's Embrace

To sail down the river Amazon, the European explorer Théo (Jan Bijvoët) has the assistance of the shaman Karamakate (Nilbio Torres). The journey unfolds after Théo falls seriously ill and discovers that only a legendary flower can cure him. Forty years later, another explorer, Evan (Brionne davis), follows the same route and seeks to persuade Karamakate to guide him.

IMDb Note: 7,8/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Gross loves

In the plot, the protagonists' stories intertwine after an accident in the Mexico City: Octavio, owner of a clandestine fighting dog; Daniel, who leaves his wife to get involved with a model; and Chivo, who seeks to reconnect with his family.

IMDb Note: 8,1/10

Where to watch: Netflix

nine queens

In the cinematographic work, two scammers, Marcos (Ricardo Darin) and Juan (Gaston pauls), are about to pull off what would be the biggest blow of their lives. After meeting one morning, Marcos witnesses Juan scamming a clerk and decides to join him to participate in a million-dollar negotiation involving counterfeit stamps, including the famous 'Nine Queens'.

IMDb Note: 7,9/10

Where to watch: Star +, Apple TV

Glory

In this Chilean plot, we are introduced to Gloria, a divorced woman who attends senior dances to avoid loneliness. During these parties, she meets several single men, including Rodolfo, a former Navy officer, with whom she becomes romantically involved. However, to maintain this relationship, she needs to face her own secrets.

IMDb Note: 6,9/10

Where to watch: Netflix

Whisky

A 60-year-old man named Jacobo (Andres Pazos) live in Montevideo alone since his mother's death. Since then, his only joy has been his small sock factory, where he has the help of his supervisor Marta (Mirella Pascual). Despite only talking about work, the two share a kind of mutual dependence. Everything changes with the arrival of Jacobo's brother, Herman (George Bolani), which revives an old rivalry between the two.

IMDb Note: 7,1/10

Where to watch: Mubi

valentine

Young Valentin, just nine years old, has lived with his grandmother for six years. Since his mother's disappearance and his father's silence on the matter, he has lived isolated and immersed in a deep feeling of lack. While his father is distracted by other women, the boy becomes attached to Leticia, doing everything to make her become his new mother figure.

IMDb Note: 7,5/10

Where to watch: Mubi

The Son of the Bride

Latin American cinema is marked by the film The Son of the Bride, where Rafael faces problems in his restaurant and goes through a crisis because he is unable to pay enough attention to his mother, son and girlfriend. During this process, he meets a childhood friend who helps him change his perspective on life.

IMDb Note: 7,8/10

Where to watch: Mubi

the Heiresses

Among the best Latin American films is the Heiresses, which tells the story of Chela (Ana Brun) and Chiquita (Margarita Irún), heiresses of wealthy families in Paraguay who depend on the sale of their assets. When Chiquita is arrested due to unpaid debts, Chela, despite being submissive and reclusive, finds herself forced to work for a group of rich ladies as a driver to support herself. During this job, she meets Angy (Anna Ivanova), whose influence affects your interests, attitudes and priorities.

IMDb Note: 6,6/10

Where to watch: Apple TV

Death of a Bureaucrat

In the Cuban film The Death of a Bureaucrat, a worker dies in an accident and is buried with his union card. Shortly afterwards, his widow needs the card to claim the pension left by her husband. Their young nephew embarks on a hilarious fight with the authorities to exhume his uncle's corpse and recover the necessary document.

IMDb Note: 7,6/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

The Golden Cage

The film directed by Diego Quemada-Ten tells the story of two peripheral boys from Guatemala who travel to United States in search of a better life. During this journey, they meet an indigenous Mexican man who doesn't speak Spanish and decide to go on an adventure together, hitchhiking to their final destination.

IMDb Note: 7,6/10

Where to watch: Mubi

It All Started with the End

The plot offers a self-portrait of the Gali's group, Also known as Caliwood, made up of friends who are passionate about cinema. Between 1971 and 1991, in the midst of a particular historical context, they produced a body of cinema that became essential to the history of local cinema. Furthermore, the work also addresses the director's struggle against a serious illness that affected him during recording.

IMDb Note: 7,7/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

Wall

The Bolivian film portrays the life of Jorge Muralha Rivera (Fernando Arze), a renowned former football goalkeeper. When he finds himself broke and unable to pay for his sick son's urgent surgery, he makes a desperate decision: he sells a young girl into sex trafficking. However, the child's rescue does not occur in time. Consumed by remorse, Jorge embarks on a challenging journey to free the girl from the hands of traffickers.

IMDb Note: 6,0/10

Where to watch: balloon play

The trip to the sea

O Seaview It was one of the world's first nuclear submarines, designed to reveal the oceans' great secrets. However, when sent to research and investigate underwater mysteries, the vessel is faced with a series of challenges and obstacles, finding more problems than answers.

IMDb Note: 7,0/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

Hamaca Paraguaya

The film, released in 2006, takes place on June 14, 1935, in an isolated location in the Paraguayan grass. In the plot, a peasant couple anxiously awaits the return of their son who went to war. While the father remains fervently optimistic about his son's return, the mother is convinced of his death.

IMDb Note: 6,6/10

Where to watch: Mubi

Summer Birds

The Colombian Summer Birds stands out among Latin American films. Set in the 1970s, the film tells the story of a family native to the tribe wayuu, which finds itself involved in the marijuana trade for American youth. As they try to resist human greed, the family faces a clan war that threatens their culture, traditions, and ancestry.

IMDb Note: 7,5/10

Where to watch: Prime Video, Mubi

Argentine, 1985

The film portrays the true story of public prosecutors Julio Strassera e Luis Moreno Ocampo, which investigate and seek to prosecute the bloodiest dictatorship in Argentina, which took place in 1985. To achieve their objectives, they face political and military pressure, forming a team of lawyers to conduct the trial.

IMDb Note: 7,6/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Leo's Room

Leo's Room became a classic of Latin American cinema for portraying the unhappiness of young Leo (Martín Rodríguez), who finds himself excessively concerned about meeting the expectations of his mother, girlfriend and society in general. However, in trying to meet these expectations, he neglects what is most important in his life: himself. Everything changes when he meets Caro again (Cecília Cósero), an old friend I hadn't seen for many years.

IMDb Note: 6,5/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul

The Brazilian plot, directed and starred by Jose Mojica Marins, tells the story of the gravedigger Zé do Caixão, whose obsession is to produce the perfect son. Upon discovering that his wife cannot get pregnant, he commits a violent act against his friend's girlfriend, who wants to commit suicide to return to the dead and take his soul.

IMDb Note: 6,9/10

Where to watch: Prime Video, Glogoplay

Provisional Measure

Among Latin American films, Provisional Measure stands out. Directed by Lázaro Ramos, the work presents a dystopian future in which the Brazilian government decrees a provisional measure, as part of an initiative to repair the slavery past. Under this measure, black citizens are forced to migrate to the Africa. The decision affects the Capitú couple (Taís Araújo) and Antonio (alfred enoch), as well as their cousin, journalist André (Your Jorge).

IMDb Note: 6,6/10

Where to watch: balloon play

A Fantastic Woman

In the film, Mariana (Daniela Vega), a transgender woman, works as a waitress, but dreams of being a singer. To make her wish come true, she performs at night in several clubs in the city. However, her life is turned upside down with Orlando's death (Francisco Reyes), her boyfriend and great companion.

IMDb Note: 7,2/10

Where to watch: Netflix

Red Princesses

Red Princesses, Also known as Red Princesses in Portuguese, it takes place in the 1980s and tells the story of Claudia, an 11-year-old girl. During the Sandinista revolution, her family is forced to leave Nicaragua and move to Costa Rica. While playing, Claudia imagines being the leader of a secret revolution, inspired by the struggle of her parents, who are political activists.

IMDb Note: 6,4/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

Neon Ox

Em Neon Ox, Iremar (Juliano Cazarre) is a cattle rancher who travels through the Brazilian Northeast together with Galega (Maeve Jinkings) and Geise (Samya de Lavor). Wherever they go, Iremar collects magazines, cloths and mannequin remains, as her big dream is to become a fashion designer at the Agreste Clothing Center.

IMDb Note: 6,8/10

Where to watch: the film is not available on streaming platforms streaming.

The club

The Chilean The club is an indispensable addition to the list of Latin American films. In the plot, a group of priests share a house with Mónica (Antonia Zegers), a nun. Her days are dedicated to prayer, the atonement of sins and training a dog to race. However, the tranquility is interrupted by the arrival of a new priest and the serious accusations made by a man.

IMDb Note: 7,2/10

Where to watch: Prime Video

Latin American films are full of irresistible artistic quality! Have you already decided which ones to include in your marathon? Share your picks with us and stay tuned to showmetech so as not to miss any news from the cinematic universe!

See also:

https://www.showmetech.com.br/lancamentos-da-netflix-em-junho

Sources: AiC, Taste of Cinema, Tropical Cinema

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim