Skip to content
MovieCove
Get the Gringo

Get the Gringo

The odds are against him. So is everyone else.

201296 minRMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Director
Adrian Grunberg
Starring
Mel Gibson, Kevin Balmore, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Peter Stormare

A career criminal nabbed by Mexican authorities is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a 9-year-old boy.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Get the Gringo?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Get the Gringo streaming on Peacock, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free), Tubi (free) and ViX via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Get the Gringo?

Get the Gringo earns 7 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Heavy for an R-rated film.

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

Reception

Is Get the Gringo worth watching?

Get the Gringo's Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 147K ratings across 5 sources. 72% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

87th percentile among Action76th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)68th
Approval (how many liked it)81st

66 /100

68th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Action67th percentile among 2010s

Critics 60 · Audience 67

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

72% liked it

81st percentile of all films

87th percentile among Action82nd percentile among 2010s
72% rated it 7–1028% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 68%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

97th percentile

147K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$20M
Worldwide gross$8.8M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 57th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It's a gritty, violent B-movie with a charismatic Mel Gibson in an old-school anti-hero role.

Fans praised

  • Gibson's charisma and return to gritty anti-hero form
  • Unique prison setting and production design
  • Tight pacing, dark humor, and satisfying shootouts

Detractors panned

  • Implausible plotting and cliché story
  • Gratuitous violence and unpleasant tone
  • Lack of character depth and weak villains

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

Gibson's grizzled charm carries the film; child actor Hernandez also praised

PacingDivisive75

Fast-moving 95-minute runtime keeps momentum

AtmosphereDivisive75

Immersive, dirty prison world feels like a lawless town

DialogueDivisive70

Witty, sarcastic one-liners and voice-over add flavor

Effects and spectacleDivisive65

Violent shootouts and car chases, but low-budget feel

CharactersDivisive55

Driver is a likable anti-hero; villains are one-dimensional stereotypes

Plot and storyDivisive50

Simple, predictable story with some twists but lacks depth and logic

OriginalityDivisive40

Derivative of Payback and other prison-action flicks

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 19 points higher than women.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Get the Gringo like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you hopeful.

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

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseAbsurdHopeful
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Sardonic · 1% of films: Mocking with a bitter edge.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its violent and corrupt prison setting straight, but the protagonist's dry wit gives it a wry, sardonic edge.
The rideThe film sustains a taut, violent energy throughout, punctuated by darkly absurd moments, and the emotional peak arrives in the climactic prison rescue.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from arrest to escape.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with the satisfaction of the unlikely trio escaping and starting a new life.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).QuestRescue
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% (this title) · Mission 5% · 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. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeThe film follows a jailed criminal who forms an alliance with a boy to stop a transplant and escape; it is primarily a rescue mission.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · 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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · 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% · 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%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsSurvivalFamily bonds
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a hardened criminal who, through his relationship with the Kid, moves from self-interest to self-sacrifice, finding a form of redemption in a corrupt world.
StanceThe film presents a morally gray underworld where corruption is endemic and the protagonist's redemption is pragmatic rather than idealized, observing without moralizing.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Antonio Pinto
Settinga corrupt Mexican prison operating like a small ghetto
MusicThe score blends brooding electronic textures with percussive Latin rhythms, underlining the border-town tension.

Content guide

Is Get the Gringo okay for kids?

R

Get the Gringo is rated R: “Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and sexual material” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at severe (91/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (75/100) and frightening material at intense (70/100). Overall it is heavier than 92% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany18
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-18
  • Hungary16
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PortugalM/16
  • Russia16+
  • SwedenR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 95% of all filmsHeavier than 92% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 56%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%

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

Heavy almost across the board: language, violence, drug and alcohol content, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated 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 Get the Gringo have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Get the Gringo?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mel Gibson
as Driver
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kevin Balmore
as Kid
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Daniel Giménez Cacho
as Javi
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Stormare
as Frank
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jesús Ochoa
as Caracas
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Roberto Sosa
as Carnal
Dolores Heredia
as Kid's Mom
Mario Zaragoza
as Vasquez
Peter Gerety
as Embassy Guy
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Bob Gunton
as Thomas Kaufman
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Get the Gringo?

Movies like Get the Gringo include Fortress (1992), Blood Father (2016) and Death Race (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set inside an institution, and most are stories about unlikely alliances.

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

9 of these 12 share its world: prison. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Get the Gringo?

682 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prison drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.