Despite a marketing hurdle, a Mexican film has made headway in the United States film market. Upon its U.S. release last weekend, “Radical,” starring Eugenio Derbez, reached No. 5 at the U.S. box office, grossing $2.7 million across 416 theaters.
Based on a true story, the film follows teacher Sergio Juarez, played by Derbez, and his journey in inspiring a classroom in the Mexican border town of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, to dream beyond the confines of their situations.
Gary Goldstein wrote in his review for The Times that “Radical” uses an “old syllabus,” a hopeful teacher in an unfavorable situation that beats the odds, as is seen in other films like, “Stand and Deliver,” “Dangerous Minds” and “Freedom Writers,” among many more.
“Who doesn’t love stories about inspiring educators who help young folks beat the odds?” Goldstein wrote.
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The film, directed by Christopher Zalla, was first screened in January at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Festival Favorite Award.
“’Radical’ was a film that was designed to be a small film, more of a festival film, and suddenly it gained impressive strength,” Derbez told Los Angeles Times en Español reporter Tommy Calle.
Its recognition spread throughout other film festivals.
“Radical” won the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award at the Heartland International Film Festival, the Audience Overall Favorite at the Mill Valley Film Festival and an Audience Best Film Award at the Hola México Film Festival, among many other awards at independent film festivals across Latin America.
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Derbez is no stranger to the big screen, starring in comedies “Instructions Not Included,” “How to be a Latin Lover,” and in supporting roles in dramas like “Under the Same Moon” and “CODA,” which won best picture at the 2022 Oscars.
“Radical,” however, is Derbez’s first leading role in a dramatic film, a feat for the Mexican comedian who shared his frustrations in pursuing the American dream in film.
“I said, ‘I am tired of chipping away at something that will never happen,’ and I left it,” Derbez told The Times.
It wasn’t until Derbez’s leading role in “Instructions Not Included,” that the actor continued his American dream, later winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance alongside his cast members in “CODA” in 2022.
Derbez is also a co-producer of “Radical” with his production company 3Pas Studios.
The U.S. premiere of the film was delayed by two weeks to avoid going up against “Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour,” though its release in Mexico outsold the concert film.
Released by Videocine in Mexico, “Radical” became the biggest local-language opening since the COVID era, grossing $2.36 million.
In the U.S., the Pantelion/Participant film did best in cities with significant Latino audiences, according toformer Pantelion Chief Executive Paul Presburger, with top attendance in Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston, respectively.
The film is expected to keep growing via “word of mouth” according to Presburger.
