Cry Macho (2021)
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A retired rodeo star is hired to reunite a young boy with his father in Mexico, leading to an unexpected journey of discovery.
The story
By 1979, Texan rodeo star Mike Milo has retired due to a severe back injury. His former boss, Howard Polk, hires him to travel to Mexico City to bring Howard's 15-year-old son, Rafo, to live with him in the United States. Upon reaching Mexico City, Mike meets Rafo's mother, Leta, who runs several illicit businesses and claims Rafo has turned to a life of crime. After witnessing Rafo participating in a cockfight, Mike convinces the boy to come with him to Texas. Although Rafo initially has misgivings, he agrees to leave his current life behind to seek out his father.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1979, retired Texan rodeo star Mike Milo is hired by Howard Polk to retrieve his 15-year-old son, Rafo, from Mexico City. Mike meets Rafo's mother, Leta, who runs illicit businesses and claims Rafo is involved in crime and cockfighting. After seeing Rafo at a cockfight, Mike convinces the boy to travel to Texas. Leta becomes hostile and sends henchmen to follow them. During the journey, Rafo sneaks into Mike's truck with his rooster, Macho. The pair share stories about their lives and the meaning of 'macho' while evading Leta's henchmen and police. They find shelter with a woman named Marta, who helps them evade authorities. Mike shares that he lost his wife and children in an accident. After a series of near-misses with police and henchmen, Mike reveals Howard only wants Rafo to battle Leta in court for her money. Rafo decides he still wants to be with his father. They are eventually cornered by Leta's henchman, Aurelio, but Macho attacks him, allowing Mike to seize his gun. They reach the border, where Rafo gives Macho to Mike and reunites with his father, while Mike remains on the Mexican side to return to Marta.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Clint Eastwood
- Writers
- Nick Schenk · screenplay; N. Richard Nash · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Clint Eastwood · Mike Milo; Eduardo Minett · Rafo; Natalia Traven · Marta; Dwight Yoakam · Howard Polk; Fernanda Urrejola · Leta; Horacio García-Rojas · Aurelio
- Genres
- neo-Western; drama
- Tone and mood
- calm; heartwarming; unhurried
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; father-son dynamic; neo-Western
- Source material / true-story basis
- N. Richard Nash's 1975 novel Cry Macho
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, underperforming at the box office. Critics praised the cinematography, score, and style of storytelling, while the screenplay and Eastwood's performance received polarized responses.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 44
- Production trivia
- Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally cast in 2011 but canceled after a scandal.; The film features a rooster named Macho played by 11 different birds.; Clint Eastwood's role in the film is his final acting role before his retirement in 2026.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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