Sightlines · reception

How El Infierno was received

2010 · Luis Estrada · El Infierno on Sightlines

The arc

A scandal at home in 2010 — bicentennial-funded, government-denounced, slapped with Mexico's adults-only C rating — it still broke box office records and swept the Ariels; abroad it flew under the radar for years before becoming a word-of-mouth 'best narco film you haven't seen' discovery.

What’s debated

The forever-debate: was it hypocritical (or a masterstroke) to take government bicentennial money and deliver a film whose poster spray-painted 'Nada que celebrar' — nothing to celebrate — under the official logo?

Its footprint

Joaquín Cosío's El Cochiloco became an instant Mexican pop-culture icon — endlessly quoted, memed, and Halloween-costumed — and 'nada que celebrar' itself entered the language as shorthand for national disillusionment.

Where it stands

A modern classic of Mexican cinema and a Letterboxd favorite among Mexican cinephiles — the crown jewel of Estrada's political-satire run alongside La Ley de Herodes and La dictadura perfecta, and a 'you must see this' handshake film.

Did you know? The film was partly funded through a Mexican government program meant to commemorate the 2010 bicentennial of independence — and repaid the favour with a poster bearing the official bicentennial logo defaced with 'Nada que celebrar' ('nothing to celebrate'), prompting official denunciations even as it swept the Ariel Awards.