Representation in Hollywood remains low but that didn’t keep Latinx talent from shining this year. While there’s always more work to be done, we were able to see some historic milestones and wins on the big screen in 2024. We saw ourselves as the leading protagonists in films like Your Monster and Turtles All the Way Down. Our true stories were told in films like Unstoppable and Igualada. We broke new ground in genres like action (Furiosa) and horror (Abigail). While many of these films don’t center our community or stories, it’s important to support projects featuring Latinx talent. Progress matters and these actors and actresses are making it happen for us in Hollywood. So before the year ends and 2025 begins, we wanted to spotlight the films that made an impact on the community. Read on for 12 of the best films featuring Latinx talent that released this year in theaters and on streaming.
Your Monster on Amazon Prime
Your Monster stars Mexican actress Melissa Barrera as Laura, a young actress who is diagnosed with cancer and dumped by her boyfriend and playwright Jacob. Overcome with grief, she suddenly finds a monster in her apartment, who tries to force her out on the street but relents to her staying for two weeks. As they grow closer, Laura tries to take her life back, including auditioning for the musical she helped Jacob develop prior to their break-up, and learns to embrace her own violence, rage, and search for justice. It won the Audience Favorite Award at Sundance London and cemented Barrera’s status as a scream queen.
Turtles All the Way Down on Max
Turtles All the Way Down is the latest film adaptation of a John Green novel following The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Town. In this movie, we follow Aza Holmes (played by Peruvian American actress Isabela Merced), a 16-year-old girl struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In the midst of school and grieving the loss of her father, she embarks on a search for a fugitive billionaire with her friend Daisy Ramirez. She also grows close to the billionaire’s son and her childhood crush Davis, fully embracing the potential of love and happiness while living with a mental illness for the first time. The film also features Ecuadorian and Italian American actress Cree Cicchino as Daisy and Dominican American actress Judy Reyes as Aza’s mother, Gina Holmes.
Gladiator 2 in theaters
Gladiator 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the beloved 2000 film Gladiator. Starring Paul Mescal in the lead role, the film follows Lucius Verus, nephew of Emperor Commodus and son of Lucilla and Lucius, the co-emperor of Rome until 169 AD. After his home is invaded by the Roman army and his wife is killed in the battle, he is forced into slavery and fights as a gladiator for Macrinus, a former slave who plans to overthrow the twin emperors Geta and Caracalla. The film features Chilean American actor Pedro Pascal as General Acacius who trained under Maximus, the protagonist of the first film played by Russell Crowe, and is married to Lucius’s mother. The film was recognized as one of the Top Ten Films by the National Board of Review Awards.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on Max and Hulu
Thirty six years after the original Beetlejuice film was released, Tim Burton returned with the highly anticipated sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It follows Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) three decades after the events of the first film, as she struggles with being a mother and holding the family together following the death of her father. At the same time, Betelgeuse returns to haunt her once more. Mexican American actress Jenna Ortega stars as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, who is estranged from her mother and refuses to believe that her mother can see ghosts. It won the Best Film award at the Venice International Film Festival and received acclaim from critics.
Pedro Páramo on Netflix
Pedro Páramo is the latest film adaptation of the landmark magical realism novel of the same name by Juan Rulfo released in 1955. It stars an all-Mexican cast including Manuel García-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) as the titular character and Tenoch Huerta (Wakanda Forever) as Juan Preciado. The film follows Huerta’s character, who is one of the illegitimate sons of the titular Pedro Páramo. After his mother Doloritas (Ishbel Bautista) dies, Juan travels to the Mexican town of Comala to find his father and meet him for the first time, as per his mother’s deathbed wish. But when he gets there, he finds a literal ghost town, where all of the inhabitants appear real but are actually spectral spirits, many of whom his father killed before his own death. Over the course of the story, the spirits tell Juan the story of his father and of the town, which starts out thriving and prospering but becomes ruins and decay as Pedro Páramo ages and his true pained and violent nature can no longer be hidden. Other featured actors include Dolores Heredia as Dolores’s friend Eduvigues, Ilse Salas as Pedro’s first love Susana San Juan, and Mayra Batalla as the cook Damiana.
Emilia Pérez on Netflix
Based on the opera of the same name by Jacques Audiard and the 2018 novel Écoute by Boris Razon, Emilia Pérez is a French musical crime film that follows the titular character and feared cartel leader who enlists a lawyer to help her disappear from the public eye and transition into a woman through gender-affirming surgery. The film features a majority-Latinx cast including Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Édgar Ramírez. It won the Jury Prize and the Best Actress award for its female ensemble at the Cannes Film Festival and was named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the American Film Institute. It also made history as being the most nominated film in Golden Globe history and both Saldaña and Gomez earned nominations.
Igualada on Apple TV
Igualada is a powerful documentary recounting the real-life story of Black Colombian activist Francia Márquez, who was able to transform the derogatory term “igualada” into a symbol of rights defiance. It follows her experiences running for president, which inspired Latinxs all over the country to dream of an equitable, diverse future and challenge societal norms steeped in white supremacy. She currently works as a human-rights and environmental activist and lawyer, as well as the 13th and current Vice President of Colombia – the first Afro-Colombian and second woman to ever serve in this role.
My Old Ass on Amazon Prime
My Old Ass is a sci-fi comedy-drama film that tells the story of Elliot, who has just turned 18 and brushes off her family’s plans to finally have sex with her crush Chelsea before she leaves for college in Toronto. When she stars taking hallucinogenic mushrooms with her friends, she suddenly sees a vision of a 39-year-old woman, who is revealed to be an older Elliot. After Elliot begs for life-changing advice and her older self agrees, she embarks on an unforgettable summer driven by mistakes, choices, and new insights into the next chapter of her life. Teenage Elliot is played by Maisy Stella while older Elliot is played by Aubrey Plaza who is of Puerto Rican descent. Upon its release, the film was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.
Abigail on Amazon Prime
If you need another horror film to watch before the end of the year, look no further than Abigail, inspired by the 1936 Universal film Dracula’s Daughter, which followed Countess Marya Zaleska, the vampire daughter of Count Dracula. This film focuses on a group of kidnappers who realize that one of their abductees is in fact the daughter of Count Dracula and demand $50 million for her release, ignorant of the dangers that lay ahead. Scream Queen Melissa Barrera continues her streak of horror films this year playing one of the kidnappers.
Unstoppable on Amazon Prime
Unstoppable is a sports drama film based on the 2012 memoir of the same name. It tells the true story of Anthony Robles, an Afro-Latino wrestler who won the 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship, despite being born with only one leg. The film documents his journey that includes him refusing to wear a prosthetic leg by the time he turned three, and discovering his love for wrestling in eighth grade. He went on to become an undefeated champion in the college circuit. The film stars Jharrel Jerome in the title role, who is of of Dominican and Haitian descent, as well as Boricua superstar Jennifer Lopez, Cuban-Italian actor Bobby Cannavale, and Mexican American actor Michael Peña.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on Max and Hulu
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga features Argentine American actor Anya Taylor-Joy center stage in this spin-off and prequel of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) within the dystopian Mad Max franchise. She stars as a younger version of Imperator Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron in the previous film), a young woman who is kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers and handed over to the Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. As they travel through the Wasteland, they end up at the Citadel, led by the Immortan Joe. Immediately, the two tyrants war for control of the Citadel and Furiosa begins to plot her escape and return home. It was nominated for 15 awards at the 14th AACTA Awards and was named one of the Top Ten Films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.
In The Summers on Amazon Prime
In the Summers follows two sisters who struggle to navigate tense summer visits in Colombia with their father Vicente. For a while, Vicente is able to have a strong emotional bond with his daughters. But as time passes, the girls begin to butt heads with their fathers and his traditional ways, suffering from a crash caused by drunk driving. The film stars a majority-Latinx cast including Puerto Rican actor René Pérez, Colombian American actress Sasha Calle, and Dominican American actress Leslie Grace. It won the Grand Jury Prize U.S. Dramatic at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and the U.S. Dramatic Award for Directing, Screenwriting and Editing.
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