Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- breezy
- irreverent
- casual movie night
- road trip movie marathon
What critics said
Critics found the film intermittently entertaining and original, but broadly felt its long runtime and separated romantic leads weakened the star pairing, while James Gandolfini's performance stood out.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jerry travels through Mexico with the antique pistol while Samantha's hostage storyline unfolds separately in the United States.
Leroy is a gay hit man whose hostage relationship with Samantha and scenes with Winston broaden the film's mobster world beyond straight macho stereotypes.
The priceless pistol known as The Mexican motivates the mob's demands and becomes associated with a supposedly fatal curse.
Jerry's attempt to recover the pistol and preserve his relationship with Samantha combines road-trip detours, mob pressure, kidnapping, and romantic reconciliation.
Films like The Mexican, and why
Out of Sight
shared romantic comedy structure, criminal complications, and breezy road-trip tone
Grosse Pointe Blank
shared crime caper energy, mismatched criminal personalities, and witty romantic tension
True Romance
shared mob entanglements, relationship conflict, and comedic action-adventure pacing
The Thomas Crown Affair
shared star-driven romantic comedy, kidnapping plot, and criminal adventure setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Gore Verbinski
- Release Date
- 2001-03-01
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1670)
Cast
- Brad Pitt
- Julia Roberts
- James Gandolfini
- J.K. Simmons
- Bob Balaban
- Sherman Augustus
- Michael Cerveris
- Gene Hackman
- Richard Coca
- David Krumholtz
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Mexican about?
- A reluctant mob courier and his estranged girlfriend are pulled into a chaotic cross-border caper centered on a supposedly cursed antique pistol.
- What is The Mexican like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Mexican as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Mexican violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Mexican as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Mexican?
- Critics found the film intermittently entertaining and original, but broadly felt its long runtime and separated romantic leads weakened the star pairing, while James Gandolfini's performance stood out.
- Which films are like The Mexican?
- Films with a similar feel include Out of Sight, Grosse Pointe Blank, True Romance, and The Thomas Crown Affair.
- How long is The Mexican?
- The Mexican runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Mexican?
- In United States, The Mexican streams on MGM Plus.
