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17 Memorable Movies Set South of the Border
With its spectacular combination of great weather and incredible scenery, “the land of the sun” has been the backdrop for many "muy bien" movie moments. Here are some of our favorites.
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Three Amigos! (1986)
Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short play three unemployed movie actors mistakenly called upon to defend a Mexican village. In doing so, they prove that slapstick comedy is funny in any language.
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A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Clint Eastwood's first film in director Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy marks the birth of the Spaghetti Western, with the Man With No Name wandering into a fictional bordertown and pitting two rival Mexican crime familes against each other. While Spain substitutes for Mexico here, 'Fistful' stands out as one of the best Mexico-set films ever made.
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Fun In Acapulco (1963)
Elvis Presley shaking his hips to mariachi music -- or as we like to call it, movie gold. Little known fact: Due to legal issues, Mexican authorities banned The King from entering the country. So while most of the movie was filmed on location in Mexico, Elvis shot all of his scenes on a Hollywood soundstage.
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The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
One of the first Hollywood films to be shot entirely on location, John Huston directs and Humphrey Bogart stars in this compelling adventure centered on two Americans corrupted by greed in their search for gold.
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Nacho Libre (2006)
What do you do if you’re a cook at a monastery who loves luche libre wrestling and needs money to feed the orphans? If you’re Nacho (Jack Black), then you don a mask and cape and compete for the grand prize at the local battle royale!
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Traffic (2000)
Director Steven Sodebergh's powerful film about the war on drugs unfolds across three primary storylines, with one centered on the only good cop in Mexico (Oscar-winning Benicio Del Toro) and his struggles to thwart the local drug cartel.
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Amores Perros (2000)
Set in Mexico City, 'Babel' director Alejandro González Iñárritu directs a twisted tale about the consequences that one terrible car accident has on three separate storylines.
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Man on Fire (2004)
Denzel Washington cuts a bloody swath through various areas of Mexico, including Mexico City, to get revenge on those responsible for kidnapping sweet little Dakota Fanning.
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The Night of the Iguana (1964)
Based on the play by Tennessee Williams, this movie -- which stars Richard Burton as a troubled reverend -- put Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on the map. The town didn't even have scheduled air service before director John Huston shot the film there.
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Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Alfonso Cuarón's gritty road-trip about two friends who fall for the same woman captures Mexico with a "you are here" immediacy few films have ever achieved.
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Frida (2002)
This Oscar-winning film chronicles the life of artist Frida Kahlo, played by Salma Hayek. Shot on location throughout various parts of the Mexican countryside, the movie is a bold and uncompromising story of a true Mexican treasure.
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El Mariachi (1992)
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez quickly put himself on Hollywood's radar with this down-and-dirty inde set in Mexico, about a man seeking revenge -- armed with a guitar case full of guns. The first of Rodriguez' "Mariachi" trilogy, followed by the sequel-remake 'Desperado.'
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Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Set in the city of Culiaca -- the epicenter of the Mexican drug wars -- this audience favorite teams Johnny Depp with franchise stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek for the thrilling conclusion to director Robert Rodriguez’s “Mariachi” trilogy.
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The Mexican (2001)
It’s called 'The Mexican' -- How could we not have this one on our list? Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini headline this quirky action comedy about the search for a mythic pistol, set in the gritty town of Durango, Mexico.
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Like Water for Chocolate (1992)
Shot throughout the picturesque landscape of Coahuíla, Mexico, this import earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language film.
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Apocalypto (2006)
Director Mel Gibson's follow-up to 'The Passion of the Christ' chronicles a very bloody, very R-rated culture clash that helped bring about the end of the Mayan civilization. Say what you will about the film's narrative, Gibson knows how to give his Mexican locations an epic sense of scope.
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The Magnificent Seven (1960)
This famous remake of Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' was shot entirely on location in Mexico (even the scenes set in the US). Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner headline this Western about the titular group assembling to defend a Mexican village from the bad guys.
