In recent years, Mexican actorDiego Lunahas reached worldwide renown thanks to his portrayal of Cassian Andor in theStar Warsuniverse — not just in film withRogue One: A Star Wars Story(2016), but also in television with the hit seriesAndor. You may also recognize him in films such asMilk(2008) and, more recently,If Beale Street Could Talk(2018). Those are all American productions featuring dialogue in the English language. But of course, plenty of the best movies from Diego’s career are in his native language of Spanish. For more hardcore fans, a few likely come to mind. Some of the Mexican and Spanish films from Luna’s early days go down among the most well-respected of their respective regions, and they were made by talented directors to boot. All that said, these are the best of Luna’s Spanish-language films, ranked.
7Casa de mi padre
Among the greatest on-screen duos of twenty-first century cinema is Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, with other collaborations of theirs also appearing on this very list. The two have been friends since infancy, with their mothers being acquainted before their respective births. Luna and Bernal have even founded a production company, called Canana Films. But mostly, the two are known for their works together on screen. Theyprovide supporting effortshere inCasa de mi padre(2012), with famous American actor Will Ferrell as the lead. Although this is far from the best film of Luna’s career — or even among the best Spanish-language movies thereof —Casa de mi padreis among the funniest.
Its title translates to “House of My Father” in English, and it tells the story of Ferrell’s protagonist Armando Álvarez. After his younger brother (Diego’s character) returns home and attempts to save their father’s ranch from debts incurred, Armando steps up to the plate once a powerful drug lord (portrayed by Bernal) gets involved. The film blends film genres to create a rare example of a western comedy, and it holds up well enough to warrant a spot on the list.
6Sólo quiero caminar
In English,Sólo quiero caminar(2008) is known by two titles:Just Walking, andWalking Vengeance. Its plot concerns four women on a quest for revenge as they go against a band of Mexican drug traffickers. But as the leads fail in their heist attempt, their relationship with the gangsters soon goes downhill. One of the drug lords is named Felix, while the actor at hand shows up as the character’s partner in crime, named Gabriel.
Amongthe many award nominationsaccrued bySólo quiero caminar(2008) includes Best Actor for Luna at the 23rd Goya Awards, along with nine other nods at the same ceremony. Even then, this is among the more forgotten films from one of Mexico’s finest ever actors, and it deserves more credit for holding up as a solid entry on its own. And considering the efforts of its cast,Sólo quiero caminar(2008) becomes an undeniable inclusion on the list.
5Un dulce olor a muerte
Though a few of the Spanish-language films from the early career of Diego Luna can be hard to track down online,Un dulce olor a muerte(1999) represents one of many films on the list well worth the watch if you can do so. Directed by Gabriel Retes, the story follows Luna’s character Ramón who inadvertently discovers the dead body of a girl he had a crush on. An emotional journey off the bat that soon flourishes into thrills unlike few entries in Diego’s filmography.
Translating in English to “A Sweet Scent of Death”, it’s the first notable feature film to ever feature Diego Luna. He was just nineteen years old when filming took place, and he shines across the board of performing despite being rather green in the craft. Granted, Luna had great practice thanks tohis childhood careerin Mexican telenovelas. But in that regard:Un dulce olor a muerteis worth the watch for Diego’s efforts alone, not to mention the thrilling nature of its plot.
4Soldados de Salamina
Written, directed, and edited by David Trueba, this entry was based on a novel calledSoldiers of Salamis, written by Javier Cercas in 2001. The English title of the film is sort of a hybrid of the two, translating to “Soldiers of Salamina”. It follows a writer who takes to a story amid the Spanish Civil War that leads to his investigating the scene. Things get out of hand, and protagonist Rafael Sánchez Mazas eludes a firing squad and escapes into the woods.
Although even more savvy American audiences may be unfamiliar withSoldados de Salamina(2003), it did receive decent acclaim upon release. At the 18th Goya Awards — the National Film Awards of Spain — the film at hand accrued a whopping eight nominations in total, including for Best Film. Writer-director David Trueba picked up nods in both of his behind-the-scenes crafts, while Javier Aguirresarobe actuallywon gold for Best Cinematography. All of these honor were well-earned, and the respective recipients highlight the quality ofSoldados de Salaminauntil the film’s final frame. It’s without a doubt among the best Spanish-language movies under Diego Luna’s belt, even if his role is of the supporting variety. This deserves a spot on the list.
With Diego in the lead role, it’s worth noting off the bat thatNicotina(2003) is among the most underrated movies of Diego Luna’s career, regardless of the region in which it was produced. It’s a co-creation between Mexico and Argentina, with Luna’s character Lolo being the protagonist. The deliberate delivery of his dialogue and precise expressions of his face are on full display from the film’s opening scene as he hacks into various accounts for the Russian Mafia. He eventually slips up, and finds himself at odds with the gangsters.
It’s a thrilling and compelling plot the whole way through, and it translates perfectly to the silver screen thanks to many techniques of behind-the-scenes filmmaking. From the film’s first few frames, well-timed jump cuts and poignant fades showcase a proper commitment to continuity transitioning, while careful camerawork brings viewers right into the respective scene with frequent insertsand close-up shots. You’ll be engaged until the fireworks of the film’s finale, withNicotinafeaturing one of the greatest performances from Luna’s career. It’s also among his best movies in general.
2Rudo y Cursi
The feature length debut of writer-director Carlos Cuarón, the brother of the famous Alfonso, this entry also features Diego Luna’s most famous and frequent collaborator in the co-starring role: Gael García Bernal. A sports comedy,Rudo y Cursi(2008) features a historic performance from Luna. For his efforts as one of the two titular characters Beto “Rudo” Verdusco, the actor of the hour received a nomination for Best Actor at the 51st Ariel Awards. He and Bernal play brothers who are recruited by a talent scout to play football (or, soccer, for American audiences) at the professional level in Mexico City. And although they’re special talents, neither brother has a particular interest in the sport.
Diego Luna’s Best Performances, Ranked
Currently starring in Andor, Diego Luna is finally getting the recognition that he deserves. Let’s take a look at his best performances, ranked.
Bernal plays the other half of the titular duo in Tato “Cursi” Verdusco, whoaspires to be a singer. Meanwhile, Beto is merely interested in providing a better life for his family, no matter the means. And the result is a hilarious yet poignant journey with brilliant performances from both of the leads. This film doesn’t just boast engaging dialogue — its tactics of continuity transitioning provide great comedic moments in timing alone, and careful camerawork sees each character from the perfect perspective of both hilarity and poignance. Carlos Cuarón provides great comic relief around every corner of behind-the-scenes filmmaking, with the brilliance ofRudo y Cursibeing defined in the details. Without a doubt, it deserves a spot among the best of Luna’s Spanish-language filmography.
1Y tu mamá también
Roughly translating in English to “And Your Mother Too”, this entry from writer-director Alfonso Cuarón should be widely considered the greatest work from everyone involved. Well,Amores Perros(2000) gives it a decent run for its money as far as Gael García Bernal movies go. Cuarón, Luna, and Maribel Verdú, on the other hand — this marks the greatest film from all three of those names, withY tu mamá también(2001) holding up wonderfully today. It follows teenagers Julio and Tenoch (played by Bernal and Luna, respectively) as theygo on a road tripwith Luisa, a woman in her twenties.
These Are the Best Alfonso Cuaron Movies, Ranked
Roma director Alfonso Cuaron is one of today’s most accomplished filmmakers, and these are his absolute best movies so far.
Diego and Gael share a brilliant and dazzling dynamic as they do in each of their collaborations, and they both create a tandem, respective rapport with Verdú, who plays Luisa. Everyone performs to perfection inY tu mamá también, which also goes down as a masterclass of filmmaking with regard to camerawork and editing. In the latter regard: Cuarón holds a co-credit, while also leading his performers to career-defining heights and crafting a poignant piece about love, friendship, and loss.Atimeless entry of Mexican cinema,Y tu mamá tambiénmarks the greatest movie of Diego Luna’s career.
