Pedro Páramo – Movie Review | Netflix (3/5)

PEDRO PÁRAMO on Netflix is a new movie adaptation of the successful novel by Juan Rulfo. A wild genre mix with a long runtime. Maybe even too long. Read our full Pedro Páramo movie review here!

PEDRO PÁRAMO is a new Netflix movie based on the iconic Juan Rulfo novel. It’s not a story or book I was familiar with, so I went into watching this with no prior knowledge of the world or its characters.

As a movie, this is a wild genre hybrid that covers drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and even western. If I was familiar with the book, I suspect I would’ve enjoyed it more.

Continue reading our Pedro Páramo movie review below. Find it on Netflix from November 6, 2024.

A story of desire, corruption, and inheritance

The story in Pedro Páramo takes place in a seemingly abandoned Mexican town. It’s a ghost town in every sense of the word and a place where past and present somehow coexist.

The main protagonist isn’t the title character, but rather Juan Preciado. After the death of his mother, he goes to the remote village where he was born. He is searching for his father, Pedro Páramo.

Instead, he meets people who tell him all about his dead father’s ruthless quest for wealth and power. As he hears these stories, the past makes itself present and we see everything happening as explained by the characters he meets.

In this town, it becomes obvious that the line between the dead and the living is strangely blurred. So is the line between the past and the present as Juan Preciado is pulled through the life stories of various characters.

The style and cast of Netflix Pedro Páramo adaptation

As a movie adaptation, Pedro Páramo is a pretty surreal experience. At its core, this is a ghost story, but not now full of hauntings in ways we usually see in genre films.

Instead, this is very much an epic tale about life and death, past and present. A story that ends up being about desire, hope, regret, and resentment as witnessed through life stories.

The cast of Pedro Páramo includes several familiar faces. Both from Spanish-language productions and English-language projects.

As the title character, we have Manuel García-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, 6 Underground) with the main character of Juan Preciado portrayed by Tenoch Huerta (The Chosen One, Madres, The Forever Purge).

In other key roles, we see Dolores Heredia (Sense8, Diablero), Ilse Salas (El Hotel de los Secretos), Héctor Kotsifakis (Triptych, The Exorcism of God), and Mayra Batalla (Prayers for the Stolen, Huesera).

Watch Pedro Páramo on Netflix now!

Pedro Páramo is directed by celebrated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman) in his directorial debut. This isn’t an easy story to show on film, so it makes sense that a cinematographer would give it a shot.

It’s now nearly 70 years after the original publication of Juan Rulfo’s acclaimed novel. This Netflix adaptation of Pedro Páramo comes from screenwriter Mateo Gil (The Minions of Midas) and succeeds at adapting this defining work of magical realism.

As already stated, I knew nothing about this novel which is considered one of the most important books in the history of Mexico and Latin America. For this reason alone, I’m happy to finally see an adaptation. Whether it lives up to what readers of the book expect is impossible for me to comment on.

It’s a gorgeous movie in terms of style and visuals, so it’s hard not to allow yourself to surrender to this world. Still, at 2 hours and 10 minutes, it is quite long. Then again, I doubt it could’ve been done in less time.

Pedro Páramo is on Netflix from November 6, 2024.

Details

Director: Rodrigo Prieto
Writers: Mateo Gil, Juan Rulfo (Novel)
Stars: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Tenoch Huerta, Ilse Salas, Mayra Batalla, Dolores Heredia, Noé Hernández, Hector Kotsifakis, Giovanna Zacarías, Roberto Sosa, Ishbel Bautista