Going Varsity in Mariachi

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Going Varsity in Mariachi

2023

1h 45m

Documentary

Music

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Popcornmeter

94%

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18 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In the competitive world of high school mariachi, the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of Coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions.

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Joe Leydon

Variety

08/30/2024

This engaging and entertaining documentary about Texas high-schoolers playing for keeps in statewide mariachi band competitions has the right stuff to delight even viewers who normally wouldn’t know the difference between a grito and a guitarrón.

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Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

02/07/2023

3.5/4

The music is exhilarating and these kids, as our next generation, make America’s future bright.

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Daniel Fienberg

The Hollywood Reporter

01/24/2023

Going Varsity in Mariachi is quite good as it is, an endearingly wholesome and frequently vibrant feature. But almost every one of my reservations boils down to, “Needed more [insert lack here].”

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Clotilde Chinnici

The People's Movies

Aug 19

4/5

Going Varsity in Mariachi is an emotional documentary that really portrays the reality of competitive Mariachi playing, a very fascinating topic many of the viewers may not know have known about beforehand.

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Daniel Allen

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/25/2024

4/5

Going Varsity in Mariachi is a really interesting and eclectic documentary about the world of scholastic mariachi that proves the music’s cultural power.

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Edward Frumkin

The Film Stage

04/05/2024

C+

The placement of competition performances could also be more coherent––their results are mainly constant wins, and the first and final shows don’t reflect the participant’s ebbs and flow in their personal lives.

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Daniel K

Nov 27

This was a great documentary... makes you a bit jealous of the beauty and cultural aspects of Mariachi... and it certainly makes you wish your HS had Mariachi and that you had been with it enough to be a part of it

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Benson G

Oct 14

Really fun and fascinating film that happens to be a documentary! I can't believe how thorough the filmmakers were in visiting so many students outside of school, even after the competition, and even also going to interview the directors of rival schools' mariachi programs. I felt like I knew and was cheering for every kid in the orchestra by the end of the movie.

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Dax B

01/20/2025

A heartwarming story about an underdog group of teens with a love for mariachi music. A beautifully told documentary.

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Sam Osborn

Director

Alejandra Vasquez

Director

James Lawler

Producer

Luis Miranda

Producer

Julia Pontecorvo

Producer

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Synopsis

In the competitive world of high school mariachi, the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of Coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions.

Director: Sam Osborn, Alejandra Vasquez
Producer: James Lawler, Luis Miranda, Julia Pontecorvo
Production Co: Fifth Season, Impact Partners, Osmosis Films, Fremantle
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

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