24 Latinx Shows and Movies You Can Stream Online Right Now
Streaming television shows and films online is the way that many people get their entertainment these days
Photo: Unsplash/@charlesdeluvio
Streaming television shows and films online is the way that many people get their entertainment these days. All you have to do is press a button and you’re automatically connected to the latest TV programs, documentaries, films, and more. It’s definitely a great way to unwind after work or on the weekends with a cozy cobija San Marcos on the couch.
The problem is that there are so many cool productions currently available that you might actually fall asleep before you even choose something to watch! And what if you want to watch a show or movie that is Latinx? That is a whole other problem! Which streaming platforms have Latinx productions and what are their offerings? And which ones are worth tuning into? Well, we did some online research and found some Latinx-themed shows and films on both Netflix and Amazon Prime that you will definitely want to add to your watchlist. Check them out!
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Black in Latin America
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zqMRqAI1f/
Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. made a four-episode documentary television series based off of his book Black in Latin America. The must-watch program (currently airing on Amazon) takes a closer look at the Afro-Latinx cultures of the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru.
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I Am the Queen
The next Latinx documentary you should check out (available on Amazon) is I Am The Queen. It follows Puerto Rican trans women Bianca, Julissa, and Jolizza, as they prepare for the Vida/Sida Cacica Pageant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. In addition to seeing the pageant itself, we learn about each woman and her transition story.
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Mexican Street Food with Mark Wiens
Mexican street food is consumed with love by the masses, but not as many take the time to look at, and appreciate, the culture and process behind these delicious dishes. In this show, Mark Wiens made it his job to travel throughout Mexico to highlight both Mexican street food and the people and culture behind it. The episode on mole negro in Oaxaca, where the process takes over 20 ingredients and several hours of both prep and cooking, is a must-watch.
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Moving in Place
Available to watch now on Amazon, Moving in Place follows several young Puerto Ricans living on the island. The documentary gives you a look at their cultural identity, the crisis in Puerto Rico, and the painful decision on whether or not to leave the country for the mainland.
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Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup is a throwback classic from 2001, starring Latinxs such as Hector Elizondo, Elizabeth Peña, Constance Marie, and Raquel Welch (available on Amazon to watch). The story follows semi-retired Mexican chef Martin Naranjo and his three daughters. Martin has lost his senses of smell and taste, but continues to cook meals for his girls. Meanwhile, they are looking for more flavor in their own lives.
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Back Home
Diego Luna hosts a super cool show called Back Home. In it, he speaks with a different celebrity — including Michael Peña, Alexis Bledel, Alisa Valdes, Andrew Kennedy, Nicole Chavez, La Marisoul, Robert Rodriguez, and Vincent Valdez — and travels with him or her to their country of origin.
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Half Like Me
Alessandro “Al” Liborio Madrigal is a comedian and was the Latino Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In 2015, he created a comedy documentary, called Half Like Me (now streaming on Amazon), in which he explored being half Sicilian and half Mexican. Madrigal set out on a “pocho quest” to get in touch with his Mexican side, before attending a family reunion in Tijuana.
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Rica Famosa Latina
You may already watch those housewive shows where a bunch of rich women sit around and fight with each other. But, shouldn’t you also watch one that has an all-Latinx cast?! The next reality show you can check out (on Netflix) is the first season of Rica Famosa Latina.
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500 Years: Life in Resistance
500 Years (available to stream now on Amazon) is a documentary that takes a look at the Mayan fight for justice in Guatemala after the horrendous genocide there during the 1980s. It covers the trial of Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt for this atrocity, as well as the movement that followed which resulted in the removal of President Otto Perez Molina.
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Roma
If you haven’t had a chance to see the hit 2018 movie Roma, which led to the groundbreaking Best Actress Oscar nomination of Yalitza Aparicio, you can still watch it on Netflix. The story revolves around Cleo (played by Aparicio), an Indigenous housekeeper, and the middle-class family she lives within the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.
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Chingo Bling, They Can’t Deport Us All
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVRmHzhga1G/?tagged=theycantdeportusall
Hip-hop comic Chingo Bling was not messing around when he made They Can’t Deport Us All (currently streaming on Netflix). He joined forces with fellow comedians Jerry Garcia, Jesus Sepulveda, and Jon Springer to present a no holds barred comedy special, made up of skits and stand-up, that takes on Latino culture and immigration.
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Felipe Esparza, They’re Not Gonna Laugh At You
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRRsfy7hCyk/?tagged=theyrenotgonnalaughatyou
Winner of the 2010 season of Last Comic Standing, Felipe Esparza has a comedy special on Netflix you won’t want to miss. They’re Not Gonna Laugh At You was filmed in 2012, and features Esparza’s straightforward take on life and Latino culture.
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Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy
Cristela Alonzo is definitely our homegirl, and her first Netflix special, which was filmed in San Antonio, will have you rolling. Topics she speaks on include immigration, Selena, and aging.
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The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood
The Bronze Screen (which you can stream on Amazon) is a great documentary that chronicles the actors, actresses, and roles that put Latinxs faces front and center in Hollywood for one whole century. You will learn about iconic stars, such as Dolores del Rio, Carmen Miranda, Anthony Quinn, Raquel Welch, and Raul Julia.
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Cuba and the Cameraman
Available to watch now on Netflix is Cuba and the Cameraman. The documentary follows Emmy-winning filmmaker Jon Alpert, as he captures the lives of three Cuban families over four decades.
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Gabriel Iglesias, I’m Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and his comedy is a part of Latinx pop culture; you know when you see one of his comedy specials, it’s going to be funny. I’m Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (currently streaming on Netflix) elicits laugh after laugh, as he talks about everything from Mexican culture to Batman’s creepy voice.
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República del Color
https://www.instagram.com/p/9PWGlHBgw6/
Republica del Color (available to stream now on Amazon) is a documentary that looks into “the history of the Dominican Republic’s visual arts from the perspective of color given by the incidence of light in the island, alongside the historical events that defined its master artists.” It’s proof that where you come from truly colors your whole world.
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Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy
https://www.instagram.com/p/8U68fCBuNN/
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes has had us laughing for years (remember she was on Mad TV in the ’90s?). Her 2015 comedy special, Not Fancy (currently on Netflix), continues the tradition, with jokes on Liam Neeson’s crime-solving skills, marrying a Christian rapper, and not being fancy.
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Celia
The novela Celia (currently streaming on Netflix), which first aired from October 2015 to February 2016, and currently aired again this year on Telemundo, tells Celia Cruz’s life story. You get to see her love of Cuba, how she was forced to leave and never return, her love story with Pedro Knight, and her musical legacy. You also see a fictionalized character who is supposed to be La Lupe (Lola Calvo), although her portrayed story appears to be much more sensationalized and false than what actually happened.
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Tierra de Maria: Mary’s Land
Religion is a very personal thing. A lawyer sets out to experience different people’s connection to La Virgen Maria in the documentary Tierra de Maria. The film is available to watch on Netflix.
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John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons
If you haven’t gotten a chance to see John Leguizamo’s super informative one-man show Latin History for Morons, get on it m’ijas. It’s still available to watch on Netflix, and will totally school you on all the Latinx history weren’t taught in el colegio.
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Rubi
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnX_k_BhCkv/
Rubi is another classic novela (streaming on Netflix), which has been remade time and time again. The story is about protagonist Rubi Perez, a poor girl who’s obsessed with climbing the social ladder and getting rich. She’s a villain who will do anything to get her way. This includes dumping a man she is in love with, because he isn’t rich but middle class, and befriending rich kids in an effort to be like them. The first version of Rubi was in 1968; the latest Spanish-language one starred Barbara Mori and took place in 2004. A Filipino edition of the show aired in 2010.
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Yo Soy La Salsa
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRJ6IBLBfK7/
Salsa is an important part of the overall Latino soundtrack. The 2016 documentary, Yo Soy La Salsa, now on Amazon Prime, takes a look at the history of the musical genre, as well as one of its icons, Johnny Pacheco.
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Residente
An ancestral DNA test can open up a whole new world to someone. In the documentary, Residente, this someone is rapper Residente, a.k.a., Rene Perez. His test takes him on a trip, to discover his roots while unearthing new musical inspiration. You can catch the doc now on Netflix.
