Gladiator
2000USA★ 8.24 pt match
The world both films live in revolves around life under oppression, corrupt institutions, and class and money. Same energy: bleak, brutal, and escalating.
El Infierno
2010MexicoLanguage: esDirected by Luis Estrada★ 7.9
Available in English: subtitled
After being deported back to Mexico, a man has no choice but to join the vicious drug cartel that has corrupted his hometown in order to survive.
Themes and style
Tone
dark comedybleakbrutalabsurdistchaotic
Pacing
escalatingepisodicslow build to explosion
Story
survivalunravelingjourney
Emotion
feeling powerlessloss of innocencefiguring out who you areguiltbelonging
Themes
corrupt institutionspovertylife under oppressionclass and moneycaught between worldsnational identity
Feel
gut punchdiscussion startercatharticexhausting
Violence
graphicWhere to watch
Hollywood films like El Infierno
If El Infierno hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
Tropic Thunder
2008USA★ 6.74 pt match
What ties these together is figuring out who you are and loss of innocence. The world both films live in revolves around class and money and corrupt institutions. Both move the same way too, dark comedy, absurdist, and escalating.
Lone Survivor
2013USA★ 7.43.5 pt match
Like El Infierno, this one is rooted in guilt. The world both films live in revolves around national identity and life under oppression. Same energy: bleak, brutal, escalating, and slow build to explosion.
First Blood
1982USA★ 7.53 pt match
What ties these together is figuring out who you are, feeling powerless, and guilt. Both circle the same ground: corrupt institutions, life under oppression, and class and money. Both move the same way too, bleak, brutal, escalating, and slow build to explosion.
RoboCop
1987USA★ 7.43 pt match
Both films sit with figuring out who you are. The world both films live in revolves around corrupt institutions, class and money, and life under oppression. Both move the same way too, dark comedy, brutal, and escalating.