Nacho Libre (2006)
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A Catholic friar secretly becomes a luchador to fund his orphanage while navigating the world of professional wrestling.
The story
Ignacio is a friar and cook for the Oaxaca monastery orphanage where he was raised. While he dreams of becoming a professional wrestler, the monastery forbids it as a sin of vanity. However, the orphanage lacks funds to provide proper meals for the children. After being mugged by a thief and seeing a flyer for a wrestling match, Ignacio decides to secretly become a wrestler to fulfill his dream and raise money for the orphans. He recruits a man named Steven to be his tag partner. Together, they enter the ring under the names 'Nacho' and 'Esqueleto,' attempting to balance their religious duties with their secret lives as luchadores.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ignacio, a friar and cook at an orphanage in Oaxaca, secretly becomes a luchador to raise money for the children's meals. He teams up with a man named Steven, and they compete in matches where Ignacio performs as 'Nacho.' Despite their success in raising funds, Ignacio grows frustrated by their lack of victories and seeks advice from the champion wrestler Ramses. After their secret is eventually revealed to the monastery, Ignacio declares his intent to fight in a battle royale to earn the right to face Ramses. After initially losing to a wrestler named Silencio, Ignacio is granted a rematch against Ramses. During the final match, Ramses cheats by unmasking Ignacio, revealing his identity. However, inspired by the support of Sister Encarnación and the orphans, Ignacio overcomes the odds and defeats Ramses. He becomes a professional wrestler and uses his winnings to buy a bus for the orphanage, taking the children on a trip to Monte Albán.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States; Mexico
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Jared Hess
- Writers
- Jared Hess · writer; Jerusha Hess · writer; Mike White · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jack Black · Ignacio; Troy Gentile · Young Ignacio; Héctor Jiménez · Steven; Darius Rose · Chancho; Ana de la Reguera · Sister Encarnación; Silver King · Ramses; Richard Montoya · Guillermo; Peter Stormare · Emperor / Water Gypsy
- Genres
- sports comedy; buddy comedy; sports films
- Themes
- faith; sacrifice; identity
- Tone and mood
- comedy; absurd
- Premise and plot tags
- lucha libre; religious comedy; undercover
- Source material / true-story basis
- Fray Tormenta
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its humor while others found it inconsistent or over-reliant on a single concept.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 39% · scale: percentage · review count: 165; Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Production trivia
- The film was shot entirely in Oaxaca, Mexico.; Jack Black sustained a gash on his eye during a stunt but continued filming.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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