8 Día de Los Muertos Movies to Celebrate the Day of the Dead
This Mexican holiday pays homage to the dead, here are eight movies to help you learn about the special tradition.
There are many holidays to celebrate, and movies are a great way to enter those festivities. When it comes to Christmas, some turn to Home Alone to get into the spirit of the season; Hocus Pocus and Witches are reserved for Halloween; Friendsgiving for Thanksgiving; and films like Coco and Día de Los Muertos are a pathway to the Day of the Dead. If you’ve seen Coco, you may already have an understanding of this special holiday, if not, here is a little background: Día de Los Muertos is a holiday primarily celebrated in Mexico, as well as around the world by people of Mexican heritage. Not to be confused with Halloween, the festivities happen on November 1 and 2. During Día de Los Muertos, lost loved ones are remembered and celebrated, and it's believed that the spirits of the dead return to earth to celebrate with their loved ones.
Throughout Día de Los Muertos, families traditionally create ofrendas, also known as altars, where they place several offerings to honor the spirit. The offerings include food, flowers, photographs, candles, and other significant items to honor the dead. Sugar skulls are the most common items, as they each represent a departed loved one. Watching movies is not part of the tradition of celebrating Día de Los Muertos, however, as movies are another way to come together, perhaps watching a film with your loved ones is the perfect way to pay your respects.
If you want to learn more about the Mexican tradition, here are eight movies that will get you started, and perhaps inspire you in starting your own ofrenda.
This 1960s film follows the story of a peasant who is obsessed with his own poverty and the idea of death. The protagonist hates his position in life and decides to protest by not eating until he feasts on a whole turkey. After running off to the woods, he meets Death. There, Death gives Macario a healing water that summons death to save whoever drinks it for the sake of saving them. Macario, consequently, becomes rich and famous but gets accused of witchcraft.
This 2001 claymation short captures El Día de Los Muertos in 11 minutes. It follows the story of a man who arrives in the land of the dead, where he is welcomed as a guest by worms, laughing corpses, a famous singer, and also a hostess skeleton.
The 2009 hand-drawn film follows the story of Pepe, a father of a family like any other, who enters a world full of joy and fun that will make him revalue important aspects of his life. This short film is about appreciating life and those whom we have lost.
This three-minute short film will have you crying. Released in 2013, the story follows a little girl who gets taken to the land of the dead, where she learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday, Día de Los Muertos.
This 2014 film follows a group of school detention students who stumble upon a tour guide that introduces them to the story of a Mexican town called San Angel. During El Día de Los Muertos, Xibalba, the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, is frustrated after seeing two of the boys fighting for Maria Posada. Although the actual holiday is not the center of the story, though it does take place in it, the movie allows the audience to wonder on a personal level about the possible meanings that accompany the Day of the Dead.
Mexican orphan Salma has spent most of her life searching out clues about her parents. That is, until she discovers a special book that is filled with stories and ventures to find her parents.
The 2017 Disney film Coco places Mexican culture and tradition at the heart of the movie. The film follows Miguel, a young boy with a passion for music who ventures into the Land of the Dead with hopes of finding a great-great-grandfather of his, however, he is faced with the wrath of his family who placed a ban on music.
Super Monsters: Día de Los Monsters follows Vida, where The Super Monsters celebrate the Day of the Dead in Vida's hometown with her magical family.
