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El Topo

El Topo

The definitive cult spaghetti western

1970125 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Director
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Starring
Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Mara Lorenzio, David Silva

El Topo decides to confront warrior Masters on a trans-formative desert journey he begins with his 6 year old son, who must bury his childhood totems to become a man.

Where to watch

Where can I watch El Topo?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists El Topo to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy · $14.99

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about El Topo?

El Topo earns 6 badges, led by One of a kind and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is El Topo worth watching?

El Topo's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 101K ratings across 6 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

87th percentile among Drama85th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)82nd
Approval (how many liked it)85th

71 /100

82nd percentile of all films

85th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 1970s

Critics 65 · Audience 72

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 1970s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 83%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 2 noms overall

90th percentile

100K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Drama94th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$1M
Opening weekend$6.9K
Domestic gross$80K
Worldwide gross$162K

Returned 0.2× its budget — 39th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An avant-garde, surrealist western overflowing with religious symbolism and shocking imagery that defies conventional storytelling.

Fans praised

  • Visually stunning and unforgettable imagery
  • Provocative religious and spiritual symbolism
  • Bold, original vision that defies genre conventions

Detractors panned

  • Incoherent plot and incomprehensible narrative
  • Gratuitous violence and shocking content without purpose

What stands out

Originality85

Unprecedented fusion of western, surrealism, and religious allegory; a landmark cult film

CinematographyDivisive80

Striking desert landscapes, vivid color, and surreal composition

Atmosphere75

Dreamlike, unsettling, and hypnotic; a truly immersive surrealist world

CharactersDivisive50

Bizarre, memorable archetypes but minimal psychological depth

Emotional impactDivisive50

Provokes awe, discomfort, and confusion more than traditional emotional catharsis

ActingDivisive45

Theatrical, often amateurish performances; Jodorowsky's own presence is charismatic but divisive

Pacing35

Slow and meandering in stretches; second half loses momentum for many

Plot and storyDivisive30

Episodic, dreamlike structure; deliberately incoherent and resistant to linear interpretation

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 23 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is El Topo like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Dreamlike · 2% of films: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film presents its surreal, violent allegory with a completely straight face, never winking at the audience despite the absurdity, resulting in a tone that is at once solemn and dreamlike.
The rideThe film maintains a tense and surreal atmosphere, with moments of absurdity and violence, building to a heavy and tragic climax.
StructureThe story unfolds as a series of loosely connected encounters—bandits, four masters, and a cave community—without a strong three-act drive, fitting an episodic structure suited to its surreal allegory.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's dense symbolism and shocking imagery linger, leaving the viewer to parse its spiritual allegory long after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeEl Topo embarks on a surreal journey to defeat four gun masters, a mission he undertakes to prove himself, later shifting to a rescue of imprisoned outcasts. The structure is archetypally a quest, though its execution is highly abstract and symbolic.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFaith · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is a surreal exploration of a man's search for his own identity and spiritual purpose, framed through violence and religious symbolism, culminating in a self-sacrificial act of redemption.
StanceThe film interrogates the notion of identity, using violence and religious symbolism to question the nature of the self and the search for spiritual meaning.

The world

TimelessWildernessInstitutionalMagical realism
ExperimentalFolkSupportive music · original score · Alejandro Jodorowsky
SettingA surreal, mythic desert landscape with a mission town and cave dwelling
MusicThe score is minimal, featuring flute and other traditional instruments, adding to the film's mystical and surreal atmosphere.

Content guide

Is El Topo okay for kids?

Not Rated

El Topo is not rated. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at intense (75/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (73/100). Overall it is heavier than 79% of unrated films.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • Germany18
  • France12
  • South Korea18
  • Czechia18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all filmsHeavier than 79% of unrated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 91%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 47%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 36%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 72%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, sexual content, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what unrated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does El Topo have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in El Topo?

Cast

Alejandro Jodorowsky
as El Topo
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brontis Jodorowsky
as Hijo
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mara Lorenzio
as Marah
David Silva
as Coronel
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Paula Romo
as Desconocida
Jacqueline Luis
as Mujercita
Robert John
as Hijo del Topo
Héctor Martínez
as Maestro 1
Juan José Gurrola
as Maestro 2
Víctor Fosado
as Maestro 3

Crew

More like this

What are movies like El Topo?

Movies like El Topo include The Holy Mountain (1973), Santa Sangre (1989) and Fando and Lis (1968). Of the 9 closest matches, most are magical-realist films, and most are films that feel dreamlike.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Alejandro Jodorowsky wrote and directed 4 of these 9. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with El Topo?

563 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gunslinger. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.