Cristina Escobar
Puerto Rican Filmmakers Worry New Netflix Reggaeton Series Won’t Be Authentic
The recently announced Netflix series will follow three friends hoping to make it in the world of reggaetón. But when Netflix announced the show, no Boricuas appeared to be behind the camera—either as producers, consultants, or in its eight-person writers’ room.
We Finally Have a Latino Hit in ‘Wednesday’ (REVIEW)
Latino viewers have become accustomed to cancelations, when something like HBO’s ‘Gordita Chronicles’ earns strong viewership numbers, gets rave critical reviews, and still gets canceled. But Netflix’s ‘Wednesday,’ starring Mexican American and Puerto Rican actress Jenna Ortega, seems destined for a different fate.
‘All Sorts’ Filmmaker Rick Castañeda Gently Skewers Office Work
By showing people the magic around the corner, Rick Castañeda, director and writer of the film ‘All Sorts,’ hopes to inspire them to seek out a more meaningful path in life — not bad for a kid who grew up working in the fields and dreamed of sitting behind a desk.
Netflix’s ‘Blockbuster’ Is for Everyone — and It’s Latino (REVIEW)
A workplace comedy set in the last Blockbuster, the new Netflix series boasts a charismatic cast led by Always Be My Maybe’s Randall Park and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Melissa Fumero, and features not one, not two, but THREE Latino characters in its main ensemble.
9 Latino Films to Watch This Spooky Season (REVIEW)
There’s something particularly Latinx about “spooky season,” maybe because we have a more open —and, I’d argue, healthier— relationship to death and what lies beyond. So it makes sense to spend this month watching films and shows that feature Latinx talent dealing with monsters, murderers, and ghosts.
‘Los Espookys’ Is Odd and They Like It That Way (REVIEW)
Sexuality and gender are just some of the raw materials Los Espookys uses to find its laughs, frights, and insights, and its sensibility is what makes it different than almost anything else on TV.
New PBS Latina-Led Kid Show ‘Rosie’s Rules’ Is Building World Peace (REVIEW)
PBS Kids, which Dr. Diaz-Wionczek describes as having “intentional programming that seeks to make a difference” in its DNA, is now running not one but two shows starring Latina girls — actively advancing Latina representation where so many others fall short.
‘Singing Our Way to Freedom’ Reminds Us of Forgotten History (REVIEW)
Filmmaker Paul Espinosa is worried the history of the Chicano Civil Rights movement is getting lost, which is partly what inspired him to make ‘Singing Our Way to Freedom,’ a new documentary airing on PBS for Latinx Heritage Month and available via their streaming platform, Passport.
More Than 20 Years Later, New York Latino Film Festival Has Become a Key Institution (INTERVIEW)
Since its launch in 1999, the New York Latino Film Festival continues growing and features diverse creators—not just along racial and gender lines, but also in what they’re making.
Netflix’s ‘Do Revenge’ Gives Us the Latina Mean Girl We’ve Been Waiting For (REVIEW)
Netflix’s new teen flick, Do Revenge, starring Riverdale’s Camila Mendes as Drea, a middle-class Latina in the rich world of prep school kids, reminds us that Latinas can anchor a ridiculous, over-the-top story.
EXCLUSIVE: Diego Luna Talks to Latino Rebels About Andor’s Latinidad
Beginning Wednesday, Diego Luna returns as Cassian in ‘Star Wars: Andor,’ the latest Disney+ series. Luna spoke with Latino Rebels about the show and the Latinidad of his lead character.
New Nielsen Report Proves We’re Right About Lack of Latino Representation in Media (OPINION)
Calling Latino viewers “the building blocks for streaming’s success,” a new Nielsen report shows that not only are Latinos strong consumers of streaming content, but their viewership increases — and shows and movies do better — when Latinos are given roles in front of and behind the camera.
Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai’ Goes to Mexico (REVIEW)
In its fifth season, the Netflix series continues getting its Latino representation right while poking fun at stereotypes, reminding us that each of these characters is equally American and human and asking us to sympathize with them regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.
‘Wedding Season’ Toys With Our Ideas of Femininity, Violence, Heroism (REVIEW)
Women murderers are all the rage. From ‘Killing Eve’ to ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ these rare occurrences are having a moment on TV. Hulu has another entry into the genre with ‘Wedding Season,’ starring Peruvian and French-Canadian actress Rosa Salazar.
Brazilian Film Editor Claudia Castello Brings Her Experience to ‘Prey’
Brazilian-born and raised Claudia Castello prefers these types of films, ones that center underrepresented voices. She also spends her free time in the male-dominated sport of surfing—including winning bodyboarding competitions.
Chris Estrada Refuses the Burden of Representation in ‘This Fool’
“When it comes to creating, I didn’t look as look at it as representation,” comedian Chris Estrada —who writes, produces, and stars in a new sitcom on Hulu called ‘This Fool’— recently told Latino Rebels.
In ‘Emily the Criminal,’ the Villian Is Student Loans (Review)
Crime can pay, sometimes—it’s playing by the rules that doesn’t work. That’s the situation Aubrey Plaza finds herself in as the titular character in ‘Emily the Criminal,’ in theaters August 12.
They Cast James Franco as Fidel Castro and the Latinx Internet Hates It (OPINION)
After news broke Thursday that Portuguese-Swedish-Russian (a.k.a. white) actor James Franco was cast as Fidel Castro in the upcoming film, Alina of Cuba, Latinx people across Al Gore’s Internet were quick to hate on the choice, pointing out all the problems with Hollywood’s continued erasure of our community.
Even the Near-Perfect ‘Gordita Chronicles’ Gets Canceled
Hollywood’s commitment to diversity is more about looking good than actually doing good. The latest casualty of this words-only approach is Gordita Chronicles, which HBO recently canceled after one stellar season.
Black, Indigenous Latinx Filmmakers Changing the Narrative
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival partnered with Netflix for its 2022 fellowship, recruiting five Black and five Indigenous filmmakers and giving each $20,000 and a few months to complete their projects, which premiered at the festival during the first week of June.
In ‘Clara Sola,’ Latina Sexuality and Spirituality Tied, Powerful, Freeing
‘Clara Sola’ communicates an insider’s understanding of the connections between Latina spirituality and sexuality. And that’s not something we usually see on-screen.