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Gringo

Gringo

An American corporation, the Mexican cartel, chances are this won't end well.

2018111 minRMidcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Director
Nash Edgerton
Starring
David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried

An American businessman with a stake in a pharmaceutical company that's about to go public finds his life is thrown into turmoil by an incident in Mexico.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Gringo?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Gringo streaming on Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Gringo?

Gringo earns 4 badges, led by Star-studded and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Gringo worth watching?

Gringo's Midcredits score is the 39th percentile of all films, from 53K ratings across 6 sources. 42% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

39th percentile

Better received than 39% of films

55th percentile among Action39th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)37th
Approval (how many liked it)41st

58 /100

37th percentile of all films

54th percentile among Action39th percentile among 2010s

Critics 46 · Audience 59

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

42% liked it

41st percentile of all films

55th percentile among Action40th percentile among 2010s
42% rated it 7–1058% rated it 1–6

Critics 39% · Audience 38%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

96th percentile

53K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$2.7M
Domestic gross$5M
Worldwide gross$11M

60th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a darkly comedic caper with an appealing lead performance but an overcomplicated narrative that tries to juggle too many characters and genres.

Fans praised

  • David Oyelowo's charismatic performance as the hapless Harold
  • Fast-paced fun ride with dark comedic moments
  • Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton as delightfully detestable villains

Detractors panned

  • Messy overstuffed plot with too many subplots
  • Unfunny comedy with forced humor and misleading trailer
  • Tonally confused genre blend

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

Oyelowo's standout performance as hapless lead

TensionDivisive55

Inconsistent sense of danger

PacingDivisive50

Slow start picks up later

DialogueDivisive50

Some witty exchanges but excessive profanity

CharactersDivisive45

Underdeveloped supporting characters; many one-dimensional

HumorDivisive45

Dark comedy rarely lands for detractors

Originality40

Derivative Guy Ritchie-style caper

Plot and storyDivisive35

Convoluted and overstuffed narrative

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Gringo like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It has a few laughs and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseAbsurdHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Dry humor
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its violent, convoluted plot with a wry, satirical edge, never fully committing to straight drama or pure comedy.
The rideTension rises during the kidnapping and cartel chases, with absurd comedy providing contrast; the middle stretch carries the most danger and violence.
StructureOpens with the hostage call then rewinds to two days earlier, but tells the rest chronologically in a standard three-act shape.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayA dark comedy that leaves you grinning at Harold's escape into a new life, but also aware of the corruption and violence he left behind.
How it ends · evidence
Happy endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% (this title) · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Fish out of water: Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).

4% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA mild-mannered businessman caught in corporate betrayal fakes his own kidnapping and must survive a cartel underworld, blending con and survival in a darkly comic fish-out-of-water journey.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfDeception
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Deception · 9% of filmsSurvivalJustice · 13% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film revolves around lies, double-crosses, and hidden agendas—Harold deceives his boss, everyone deceives each other, and justice is eventually served through his faked death.
StanceThe film satirizes corporate greed and the absurdity of the drug trade, focused on Harold's personal escape rather than systemic change.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Christophe Beck
SettingChicago and Mexico—offices, hotels, cartel ranches, and beach bars
MusicA playful, Latin-inflected score that underscores the film's comedic thriller tone.

Content guide

Is Gringo okay for kids?

R

Gringo is rated R: “rated R for language throughout, violence and sexual content” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (71/100), sexual content at moderate (37/100), language at intense (76/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (68/100) and frightening material at intense (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 60% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 15 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark15
  • Hungary16
  • Israelהותר לבני 16 ומעלה
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • Russia18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 76% of all filmsHeavier than 60% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 52%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 67%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 46%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, violence, drug and alcohol content, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Gringo have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Gringo?

Cast

5 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

David Oyelowo
as Harold Soyinka
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joel Edgerton
as Richard Rusk
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Charlize Theron
as Elaine Markinson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Amanda Seyfried
as Sunny
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Sharlto Copley
as Mitch Rusk
Harry Treadaway
as Miles
Yul Vazquez
as Angel Valverde
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Thandiwe Newton
as Bonnie Soyinka
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Melonie Diaz
as Mia
Paris Jackson
as Nelly
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Gringo?

Movies like Gringo include Jane Got a Gun (2015), Role Play (2024) and Novocaine (2001). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films about corporate life, and several are dark comedies.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its praise for acting. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Gringo?

2.9K other films share the rarest tag below, up against: despot. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.