Sangre de Mi Sangre

Released May 16, 2008

1h 51m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

79%

39 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Pedro (Jorge Adrián Espíndola) is a Mexican immigrant who is traveling by truck to New York City to find his wealthy father, Diego (Jesús Ochoa), a man he has never met. All Pedro has is a 17-year-old letter with an address at which Diego once worked. But on the road a confident man named Juan (Armando Hernández) takes the letter and steals Pedro's identity. Pedro slowly makes his way to New York, but Juan arrives first and finds Diego, convincing him that he is his long-lost son.

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Critics Consensus

This suspenseful Mexican drama portrays the immigrant experience with grit and poignancy.

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Chris A

Found this on appleTV after seeing Christopher Zalla's most recent movie Radical. Whoah. I guess you see some similarities, in terms of really good filmmaking and incredibly visceral atmosphere and rendering of worlds, but whereas Radical is heartwarming with heartbreak, this movie is just ruthless...and kind of amazing. I mean they are both deeply humanistic, but in this one, it's the DARK SIDE of human need and longing, while Radical almost the opposite. With Radical I was chock full of deeply felt emotions, and with Sangre de Mi Sangre I was on the edge of my seat...I mean I could barely deal with the ANXIETY. And oh wow what twists and turns and then POW, it absolutely knocks you off your feet. I guess one thing both movies have in common is that the leave you with a feeling like you just lived through something, and there's a worldview that doesn't shy away from the brutal realities of our world, and especially its harsh social economic truths. But this movie was actually a thriller of the highest order. Like Radical, it seems that Zalla is using genre to turn convention on its head. I literally can't believe I'm only discovering him now! I can't believe that this won Sundance in 2007 and I never heard of it. Whatever is next for Zalla, I'll be buying a ticket opening weekend to see it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a fast paced movie with an excellent plot and good characters, never boring, never cheesy and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. It is a little sad but this makes it a movie that would stay with you until the end. So for this being one great film and having a great Mexican cast and great performances by all, I give " Sangre De Mi Sangre " a B-.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Sangre de mi sangre" is so open-ended and it leaves so many questions unanswered that anyone who watches it is guaranteed to feel unsatisfied after it's over. It might have been quite a cinematic achievement if its screenplay wasn't so uncompromising and frustrating and ambiguous, but it isn't. However, what does make it a somewhat rewarding experience are the performances from Jesus Ochoa, Armando Hernandez, Paola Mendoza and Jorge Adrian Espindola, all of whom I am unfamiliar with. Writer/director Christopher Zalla doesn't paint a pretty picture of New York or the human race with his gritty, grimy depiction of the city and its inhabitants. "Sangre de mi sangre" is a maddening film because of how it refuses to give us what we want, but I can't dismiss it as just another indie effort.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The story is so over the top that it almost makes Crash seem believable. But the characters are so intriguing and the performances so strong that I'm willing to forgive the melodrama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

After his identity is stolen, a Mexican immigrant struggles to find his long-lost father. Telling a story from the perspective of Mexican immigrants and the harsh realities they face making a life, working illegally in the U.S., makes for a strong concept. The politics of the story are just as compelling as the remarkable performances by all four of the lead actors. Jorge Adrian Espindola, especially, brings a vulnerability to a character who essentially serves as the film's villain, and Jesus Ochoa's turn as Diego is almost inspiring. The film's conclusion is doubtlessly unsatisfying. Most of the film built up a powder keg, but the failure of all the stories colliding made the conclusion fizzle. Overall, director Christopher Zalla pulled together two acts of very good filmmaking with excellent performances carrying the weight.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

not that interesting. over rated by an eccentric american audience I assume. Mexican film has much better offerings, and hollywood even turns out better shite than this.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Christopher Zalla

Director

Jorge Adrián Espíndola

Pedro

Armando Hernández

Juan

Jesús Ochoa

Diego

Paola Mendoza

Magda

Eugenio Derbez

Anibal

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Alissa Wilkinson

Paste Magazine

Well-acted and gripping, Sangre de mi Sangre augurs well for Zalla's career.

Apr 12, 2016

Full Review

Andrea Gronvall

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Don Willmott

Filmcritic.com

Eventually, of course, all the characters will have to collide for a final reckoning, but that moment strains credulity to the breaking point and sabotages the entire enterprise

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 29, 2008

Full Review

Stan Hall

Oregonian

It's the relationships between the characters, layered and emotional, that saves Sangre from itself.

Aug 15, 2008

Full Review

Ron Wilkinson

Monsters and Critics

A moving story combined with first rate acting and a great screenplay by a new, but determined, writer/director make this an indie film not to be missed. Modern film noir from the streets of Mexico to the streets of America.

Rated: 8/10

Jun 17, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Pedro (Jorge Adrián Espíndola) is a Mexican immigrant who is traveling by truck to New York City to find his wealthy father, Diego (Jesús Ochoa), a man he has never met. All Pedro has is a 17-year-old letter with an address at which Diego once worked. But on the road a confident man named Juan (Armando Hernández) takes the letter and steals Pedro's identity. Pedro slowly makes his way to New York, but Juan arrives first and finds Diego, convincing him that he is his long-lost son.

Director: Christopher Zalla
Producer: Daniel Carey, Gloria Reuben, James Shiffren, James M. McNamara
Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla
Distributor: IFC First Take
Production Co: Cinergy Pictures, Panamax Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.2K
Runtime: 1h 51m

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