Cassandro

"Changing the game, one match at a time."

2023 1h 46m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 136

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso that rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world but also his own life.

“Changing the game, one match at a time.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Gael García Bernal
Saúl "Cassandro"
Roberta Colindrez
Sabrina
Perla de la Rosa
Yocasta
Joaquín Cosío
Lorenzo
Raúl Castillo
Gerardo
El Hijo del Santo
El Hijo del Santo
Bad Bunny
Felipe
Gigántico
Murder Clown

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roger Ross Williams
Writers: Roger Ross Williams, David Teague
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: Mexico, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Mexico, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roger Ross Williams, shot by Matías Penachino. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Marcelo Zarvos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Affonso Gonçalves shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gael García Bernal and Roberta Colindrez and Perla de la Rosa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Changing the game, one match at a time.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roger Ross Williams directs. Matías Penachino behind the camera. Marcelo Zarvos scores. Affonso Gonçalves cuts. Produced in Mexico, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 3 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
3International production across 2 countries: Mexico, United States of America.
4Directed by Roger Ross Williams, shot by Matías Penachino. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Marcelo Zarvos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Affonso Gonçalves shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gael García Bernal and Roberta Colindrez and Perla de la Rosa carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Changing the game, one match at a time.".
9IMDB entry: tt14954534 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "sports", "transvestite", "entertainer", "texas".

The technical file

Cinematography: Matías Penachino
Original score: Marcelo Zarvos
Editing: Affonso Gonçalves
Production design: JC Molina
Makeup / hair: Itzel Peña
VFX supervisor: Thomas Boda
Sound: Michelle Couttolenc
Stunt coordinator: Balo Bucio
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Cassandro (2023)

Also by

Roger Ross Williams

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-09-20
★ 7/10
Gael García Bernal is great in this entertaining biopic of the eponymous wrestler who rose from Texan oblivion and poverty to international acclaim. We learn fairly early on that he and his mother "Jocasta" (Perla De La Rosa) get by after his father abandoned them by working loads of different jobs and by him taking on the role of an "exotico" - a sort of "glamour" wrestler - in a makeshift garage where his job is to camp things up and then get beaten by a guy twice his size. Aside from the fact that it hurts, he decides that he wants a new home for him and his mum, and that he also has the skill to take things a bit further professionally. Together with his new-found, kick-ass, trainer "Sabrina" (Roberta Colindrez) he decides to create the new character of "Cassandro" to become the first of his creed to actually win! What now ensues is quite a messy film, technically - the editing and continuity are not very good, but the sheer charisma of the star as he portrays this openly gay man in a world that offers him little but hostility is frequently quite amusing and engaging to watch. There's a little bit of (complicated) love interest for him, too, but essentially it's Bernal hamming it up, Liberace style, in the ring where he is adept and pinning down (not an euphemism) gents far more substantial than himself. Like stories of boxing in general, it's illustrative of just how few opportunities there are for those trapped in a cycle of poverty to escape the mundanity of their lives - especially when their sexuality doesn't exactly conform either; and it also demonstrates well just how a community thrives on and values these makeshift, almost bare-knuckle, events. I knew nothing at all about the "Lucha Libre" culture so that proved quite an eye-opener too - particularly when reconciled with a strong but not overwhelming gay storyline. Maybe it doesn't need to be seen in a cinema, but I did enjoy it and it's well worth a watch.

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