Carlos Gallardo,
Consuelo Gómez,
Reinol Martinez,
Peter Marquardt,
Ramiro Gómez
... see more 
Filmed in two weeks on a budget of 7,000 dollars, El Mariachi was one of the singular pleasures of the 1993-1994 movie season. Kind-spirited guitarist El Mariachi (Carlos M. Gallardo) simply wants to ... read more
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Release Date: January 1, 2001
Keywords:
action,
first film,
robert rodriguez,
low budget,
once upon,
Times New Roman,
Robert Rodriguez ,
Once Upon ,
Time In Mexico
DVD Release Date: August 26, 2003
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Stats: 2,362 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (2,362)
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October 26, 2010I liked it...It was good.....funny and action. And I think this no-named guy fits the part much better than Banderas. The rolling head scared the shit out of me though...
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August 10, 2010"All I wanted was to be a mariachi, like my ancestors. But the city I thought would bring me luck brought only a curse."
A traveling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a gang bent on killing him.... read more -
April 23, 2010I am glad I finally saw this movie. It totally lives up to the hype. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest low-budget indie films of the past 25 years. The plot is relatively simple, and pretty straightforward, but Rodriguez makes it his own via innovation on a microbudget ... read more
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February 21, 2010You could say that El Mariachi has low production quality, or you could say that it has a raw, rough-cut edginess. Either way, Robert Rodriguez was honing his craft in preparation for great things to come.
Gritty and violent with a few brief flashes of brilliance. -
January 25, 2010A great movie and probably the most serious Robert Rodriguez has ever gotten. It isn't all fun and games, but a ruthless revenge tale full of carnage and destruction. While the acting isn't quite up to par with the later films in the trilogy, it is perhaps the best in terms of fi... read more
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January 7, 2010Watched it for a Spanish class. Not nearly as bloody as its sequels, but then again they were shot better.
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April 22, 2009A wandering musician is mistaken for a a gun toting killer with a grudge and finds himself caught between two warring drug gangs. To say Robert Rodriguez' breakthrough film was an achievement is an understatement; this rates alongside Evil Dead as one of the great victories of mi... read more
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February 16, 2009Ultra-cheap prequel to Desperado, filmed in a small Mexican town in their native language. The low budget makes it seem more real in some ways, though in a cheesy way. It's not only a must see if you'd like to know how the El Mariachi character came about, but it's also a very go... read more
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September 2, 2008This movie put director Robert Rodriguez "on the map." He followed up with two sequels: "Desperado" and "Once Upon A Time In Mexico." Not surprising, the best of the three was this low-budget opening film. As Rodriguez had more and more money to spend on the sequels, the stories ... read more
Critic Reviews
November 12, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times
It goes without saying that Mr. Rodriguez, having made such a clever and inventive debut, is prepared for a big future of his own. Full Review
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
A gripping, tautly-paced action flick that outdoes most of Hollywood's similar output. Full Review
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Watching his film, you can feel the sheer joy that went into its creation. Full Review
January 16, 2011
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
Despite its age, El Mariachi holds up remarkably well. The film's low budget (roughly $7,000, allegedly) actually helps build tension in the narrative - like you're watching something that's really ha... Full Review
March 13, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide
The unrelenting tempo is bolstered by Rodriguez's camera work and editing: nearly every frame seems to have been shot with a careening, handheld camera, and they're cut together in a skillful, fluid f... Full Review
June 26, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
No festival is true to its name if it doesn't display at least one discovery. In 1992 that spot was occupied by Robert Rodriguez, who made a charming actioner for $7,500; never mind that Columbia late... Full Review
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Rodriguez goes for broke with a breakneck pace, swarms of bullets, cinematic tricks, and a tone as playful as it is knowing of genre conventions. The director's light touch is all his own; and this un... Full Review
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El Mariachi
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