15 Must-Watch Streaming Original Films With a Hispanic Lead

Whether there is one Hispanic lead or multiple Hispanic characters, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the streaming original films that have broken free from stereotypes and promote genuine Hispanic representation.  

For a long time, Hispanic characters were represented as criminals, uneducated, unable to speak English, or as the help. Luckily, that has changed over time, and these stories show that Hispanic people can be and do anything they set their minds to.

And just like that, some of these stories have been praised so greatly that they have become Academy Award-nominated or winning movies.

Here are 15 Movies With a Hispanic Lead You Must Watch:

A Deadly Invitation

A Deadly Invitation sets the mood for a murder investigation, unlike many others. After divorcing her fifth husband, Olivia Uriarte decides the best way to end her decline is to plan her death as a murder.

Although her death/murder may come as a surprise to everyone in her family, it is her sister who decides to investigate what truly happened. Her sister is a big fan of true crime and takes matters into her own hands to interrogate and investigate everyone in the villa until she finds the culprit.

A Deadly Invitation is available for streaming on Netflix.

The House of Flowers: The Movie

The De la Mora family was first introduced to us on The House of Flowers in 2018 after the father’s mistress takes her life during his birthday. This turn of events throws the family into different scenarios that turn upside down the way they were living.

After three seasons, tremendous success, and an audience that wanted more from this family, The House of Flowers: The Movie premiered in 2021, bringing back some of the most beloved characters and introducing new ones.

This time, the De la Mora siblings were after a hidden treasure of great value. To retrieve said treasure, they had to find a way to sneak back into the home that once belonged to them.

The House of Flowers: The Movie is available for streaming on Netflix.

Someone Borrowed

One theme that falls into a well-known Hispanic stereotype is the mother wanting to see her son or daughter married before she dies. Someone Borrowed follows exactly that pattern as it tells the story of Lina and Luiz.

Luiz is an established bachelor who refuses to settle, marry, and start his own family. However, his plans change when he finds out his mother is dying, and the only way to stay in her will is to find the perfect partner.

That is when Lina comes in. In order to convince his mother (and the rest of the family), Luiz hires an actress to play his fiancée. By introducing her to his mother and pretending to be in a relationship, he hopes to stay in his mom’s good graces.

Someone Borrowed is available for streaming on Netflix.

El Conde

Hispanic culture is made up of many different countries, their beliefs, their history, and their traditions. That is why many Hispanic-led movies take historical events and turn them into fiction to tell a story. El Conde does exactly that.

For those who may not know much about Chile’s history, Augusto Pinochet was a dictator between 1973 and 1990. This movie takes the character of Pinochet and turns him into a fictional vampire who has been around for 250 years.

This vampire is tired and ready to die after being around for over two centuries. He believes the only way to put an end to the disgrace and tragedies he has brought to his family is by putting an end to his life.

El Conde is available for streaming on Netflix.

Pickpockets

Most Hispanic countries, particularly those in Latin America, will warn tourists about pickpockets. Tourist attractions may be full of them as they try to steal from tourists because they are distracted and may become the perfect target.

Pickpockets tells the story of two young men and a young woman who aspire to become thieves in their town. To do so, they must learn what it takes to become a successful pickpocket without getting caught. The only way they can learn this is by being trained by a man who considers himself the master of trickery and deception, of pickpockets.

Pickpockets is available for streaming on Netflix.

Perdida

Many years ago, a school in Argentina took a trip to Patagonia, and one night, some students decided to sneak out and go dancing. That night, one of the girls, Cornelia Villalba, disappeared without a trace, and they could never find her.

A little over a decade later, her best friend, Manuela Pelari, has become a police officer and is investigating her disappearance again. However, as the case goes on and Manuela investigates old and new clues, she begins to fear for her own life.

Soon, she realizes she may know the people involved in her friend’s disappearance, and she cannot trust those around her.

Perdida is available for streaming on Netflix.

Book of Love

Book of Love tells the story of a British writer, Henry Copper, who realizes his novel hasn’t been selling in the UK. However, his publisher tells him that his novel’s translation has been a hit in Mexico, and they want him to do a book tour.

When Henry arrives in Mexico, he realizes the success of his novel is due to the changes the translator, María Rodriguez, decided to make. María turned his boring book into an erotic novel, gaining hundreds of fans.

Now, the two of them must go on the book tour together. Then, they get to know each other, learning more about their pasts and dreams and allowing feelings for one another to come to life. When it’s time for Henry to return to the UK, María asks him to stay a bit longer so they can write a sequel to the translation she did.

Book of Love is available for streaming on Prime Video.

A Million Miles Away

José Moreno Hernández is a Mexican-American engineer who once was an astronaut for NASA. Currently, he works as Regent of the University of California, and in 2023, a movie premiered telling his story: A Million Miles Away.

The movie is a biopic that tells how Hernández went from being a farm worker to an engineer and an astronaut. His story is an inspiring Hispanic story that showcases what some individuals have to do to achieve a dream they were told was impossible.

A Million Miles Away is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Cassandro

Cassandro is another biopic that follows the story of an amateur wrestler in El Paso, Texas. This movie also showcases how passionate fans can be about wrestling and the hardships of being a homosexual in a Hispanic environment.

Like most wrestlers, Saúl Armendáriz creates a character he will portray during his wrestling matches.  As a homosexual in an industry that isn’t always welcoming to queer people, he is extravagant, and his character stands out from the rest.

As his character, Cassandro gains more and more popularity, fans begin to know who the Liberace of Lucha Libre is. His appearance in this environment turns the macho wrestling world and his life upside down.

Cassandro is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Argentina, 1985

Many Hispanic countries, especially in Latin America, have suffered under military dictatorships and the hardships of that time. That is why several movies tell these stories, highlighting people who fought against the dictatorship or stood out for having different beliefs.

Argentina, 1985 is a historical drama that focuses on a public prosecutor, a young lawyer, and a legal team that doesn’t have the experience to take on the case they did. This group of people took on the task of prosecuting the leaders of Argentina’s military dictatorship.

The film shows the team’s investigation and research, interviewing witnesses and those who had lost family members. It also does a great job of portraying what it was like in court for these witnesses and the prosecuting team to face the military.

The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film.

Argentina, 1985 is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Deep Water

Although Deep Water doesn’t necessarily focus on Hispanic themes, its central female character is a Hispanic actor. The story, however, focuses on infidelity and disappearances.

The Van Allen seem to have a happy marriage, but there is more to them than meets the eye. The husband has allowed his wife to have several affairs in hopes that this will avoid divorce and they will remain together.

However, things take a turn when the wife’s lovers begin to disappear. As expected, the husband is the main suspect in the disappearance and the police investigation.

Deep Water is available for streaming on Hulu.

Roma

In 2019, Roma won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. This was the first time a movie created for streaming had been nominated and taken the gold home. That same year, Alfonso Cuarón won Best Directing for the movie.

The movie is set in Mexico City in the 1970s and tells the story of Cleo. She is a domestic worker who helps Antonio and Sofía, a married couple, take care of their children and their house.

However, things take a turn when Antonio leaves his family to go after his mistress, and Cleo finds out she is pregnant. In order to reconnect with her family and get away from the chaos, Sofía decides to go on a vacation with the kids and invites Cleo along.

Roma is available for streaming on Netflix.

Sayen

Many Hispanic cultures date back to native groups that continue to occupy their original territory. Although these groups are sometimes ignored or mistreated, some great movies tell their story or the injustices they go through.

Sayen is the story of an older Mapuche woman who is found murdered after she is part of a land dispute. These native groups are often pushed out of their homes or their territories by people in positions of power trying to claim the land.

When this woman is found dead, her granddaughter, Sayen, swears she will get revenge on those guilty of her grandmother’s murder. Then, she finds out those to blame are connected to an anti-green conglomerate focused only on money.

Sayen is available for streaming on Prime Video.

My Fault

After being used to one lifestyle, Noah’s life changes when her mother makes her move to a different town and home to live with her new rich husband. Noah has to say goodbye to her boyfriend and friends and face this new life alone.

However, she quickly meets Nick, her stepbrother. At first, Nick seems to be the perfect son, but as she gets to know him, Noah discovers there is more to Nick than meets the eye.

Whether thanks to this discovery or against what she has learned, Noah ends up falling in love with Nick, turning her life further upside down.

My Fault is available for streaming on Prime Video.

The Initiated

The Initiated is based on the literary universe created by Colombian author Mario Mendoza. This thriller is centered in a future with a huge lack of clean water, and it follows the story of a journalist called Frank Molina.

Molina is trying to solve a murder while also fighting his own demons. As he gets deeper into the investigation, he discovers the city he is in is darker than it seems, and nothing is what it seems.

The Initiated is available for streaming on Prime Video.

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