Diego Luna has been a superstar, and we know it, but it’s always nice to get reminded, once more, of his charm and talent. Luna is currently enjoying the glory of Andor, but also promoting his newest feature film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, where he shows off his musical prowess; he can sing, he can dance, he can act, and he can sure take our hearts—is there anything Luna can’t do?
On top of his cinema talents, Luna is an activist and lives in Mexico. He prefers to stay local despite boasting global fame and recognition, showing a more grounded side to handling the fame. The essential Diego Luna movies are a combination of his Hollywood beginnings and biggest hits, Mexican indie movies, his earliest notable performances, and even his own directing efforts.
7
‘The Terminal’ (2004)
The Terminal is more Tom Hanks‘ than anyone else’s, but Luna stands out as a Hollywood newcomer here. His role is charming and warm and suits him well; despite being only the supportive role, it’s Luna’s personal milestone. Crossing from Mexican arthouse and indie cinema into the global mainstream must have been a major trip for him, but Steven Spielberg, The Terminal‘s director, has a knack for discovering and giving talented people a chance. Though received with mixed critical reviews, The Terminal is quite loved among general audiences and is often considered one of Hanks’ best.
The Terminal follows Viktor Navorski (Hanks), an Eastern Bloc native who becomes stranded at JFK airport after his country falls under a military coup. Viktor must temporarily live at the airport until matters are solved, and he befriends the workers of the airport, including Enrique Cruz (Luna), a food service truck driver. Enrique gives Viktor free meals in exchange for romantic advice, and the two form a heartwarming bond. Luna is funny and endearing here, showing his skills off from early (though he was, like, 25 here).
6
‘Milk’ (2008)
Milk may be one of the most influential LGBT movies out there, but it also gave us Diego Luna in a supporting role that was deserving of attention and further mention. This was a leap for him in his dramatic depth, showing that Luna was well versed in portraying fragility, dysfunction, and raw, stunning emotion. Milk is another biopic, in which Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected for public office in California; he was an activist, a political figure, and an important personality within the American LGBT community during the 1960s and 1970s. He was assassinated in 1978, when he was only 48 years old; the biopic follows his life from earlier activism until his assassination.
Diego Luna appears as Jack Lira, Milk’s young but troubled partner. Lira was often photographed drunk at Milk’s public events and, according to the movie—and historical accounts—had severe depression issues. Lira, sadly, died of suicide, and Harvey Milk found him after coming home to Lira’s call. Luna very touchingly tributes Lira in all his trouble and emotion, and the role definitely falls into his bolder and more vulnerable performances.
5
‘César Chávez’ (2014)
César Chávez is a biopic Diego Luna directed, not starred in, but it’s crucial for his filmography because it showcases him as a talented and skilfull director, too. He can be behind the camera as much as in front of it, and the biopic shows he’s always had ambitions beyond acting. Everyone loves a multi-hyphenate—and Diego Luna—and here, we have both. The movie also reflects Luna’s passion for social activism and tells stories of it, since Chávez was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. He was active in California and adjacent to many labor and leftist groups, and co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union, fighting for farmworkers’ rights in California.
César Chávez is portrayed by Michael Peña in the biopic, and though critics found the film less grounded and more celebratory, Luna’s directing skills were highly praised. This wasn’t his directorial debut, either—Luna directed the Mexican dramedy Abel in 2010, but César Chávez is a bigger and bolder feat in directing and producing. This one was made in English, and he mentioned it being particularly challenging to be bilingual on set.
4
‘Nicotina’ (2003)
Nicotina is lesser known in Luna’s biography, and another, more famous film can be picked instead. He’s had smaller roles in Hollywood successes like Frida, but he’s in it so briefly that his small role may not be worth the mention. Instead, a Mexican crime caper enters the scene—Nicotina, where he actually carries the story. This movie is very fun and exciting and a nice addition to stylish crime thrillers across the globe. More importantly, it showcases Luna’s comedic timing and the ability to convey desperation and vulnerability while being the hero. His character, Lolo, is witty but chaotic, nervous but resourceful: an antihero caught in the jaws of life one fatal night.
Nicotina is about Lolo, a skilled but socially awkward computer hacker living in Mexico City. One night, he accidentally delivers some Russian mobsters the wrong hard drive, and the story goes off the rails into a stylish crime caper that combines chaos with a darkly comical underworld. Luna’s energy anchors the story and moves it forward, as he runs from some big trouble, paired with a brilliant soundtrack and some gritty action sequences. The movie is shown in real time, and some reviewers compared it to a classic Quentin Tarantino crime flick.
3
‘Rudo y Cursi’ (2008)
Rudo y Cursi reunites Diego Luna with Gael Garcia Bernal in a story about two half-brothers becoming sports rivals. It’s a heartfelt and kind of legendary film, one of the most beloved Mexican comedy movies of the 2000s. This movie is the spiritual successor to Y Tu Mamá También in a way, because it was directed by Alfonso Cuarón‘s brother, Carlos Cuarón, who also wrote both of the movies. Another cool fact about Rudo y Cursi is that its listed producers are Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Guillermo del Toro, three of Mexico’s biggest filmmakers of today.
Rudo y Cursi is about two half-brothers, Tato “Cursi” (García Bernal) and Beto “Rudo” (Luna). Both dream of a bigger life by playing in local football games, with Cursi being a master striker and Rudo a brilliant goalkeeper. When a scout for a big Mexico City team arrives in town, Rudo and Cursi compete for his attention so they can make it big. The chemistry between Luna and García Bernal is, of course, off the charts, and they might as well be brothers in real life. Considering they’ve been friends since infancy, it’s almost like they are; their brotherly dynamic can’t be imitated, and it makes the movie all the more entertaining and fun. Rudo y Cursi is a brilliant comedy full of clever jokes and shows off Luna’s brilliance quite well.
2
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (2016)
What would this list be without the best Star Wars Disney movie so far? As much as that’s a mouthful, a lot of Star Wars content after Rogue One has had massive shoes to fill; Andor succeeded, but only because it follows the same protagonist—Cassian Andor. Rogue One evokes the feeling of the classic Star Wars movies and takes all the great parts about them in a standalone story about rebellion, freedom, and self-actualization. It also boasts some beautiful parts about friendship and family, fitting it all into an action-packed story. Rogue One was also the first time we witnessed Disney‘s affinity for digitally restoring iconic characters, with audiences and critics expressing mixed emotions at the digital restoration of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing‘s characters.
Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of a kidnapped research scientist building the Death Star for the Empire, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen). Jyn escapes after Galen is captured, and gets picked up by a group of rebels; some time later, she crosses paths with the morally grey Rebel Alliance intelligence officer, Cassian Andor (Luna), and he agrees to help her find Galen and steal the Death Star plans. Andor is one of the most beloved heroes in the Star Wars universe, and Rogue One‘s casting directors did something great by hiring Luna to play him. Putting a Mexican actor at the center of the Star Wars lore was a brilliant move to help cement the film’s influence as well as Luna’s; it’s also just great to see diversity in a space opera like this one.
1
‘Y Tu Mamá También’ (2001)
Y Tu Mamá También is quite a beautiful coming-of-age film; sensual, sexually free, and steamy, yes, but a great story about two teenage friends and their mutual and individual sexual awakening. They go from being immature boys to experiencing heartfelt moments full of life during an interesting road trip with an older woman. Beyond a coming-of-age story, it’s a road trip movie, too, and shows off some of Mexico’s most beautiful scenery and landscapes. And then, beyond all of that, it’s a movie that feels like bottled nostalgia, awakening a wish to live more, see more, do more, and maybe even kiss your homies and tell them you love them. It’s set in 1999, depicting the transitional period in Mexico after a long period of a single-party political landscape.
Y Tu Mamá También follows two teenage boys, Julio (García Bernal) and Tenoch (Luna), who see their girlfriends off on a vacation to Italy and promise to be faithful. However, Julio and Tenoch intend to have a wild summer, and their lives are upturned when they meet Luisa (Maribel Verdú), the Spanish wife of Tenoch’s cousin, Jano. The boys vie for her attention and Luisa takes them up on their offer to find a secluded Mexican beach they wove stories about. Julio, Tenoch, and Luisa go on a road trip through Mexico and share stories of love, friendship, and growing up. Interestingly, Luna wasn’t even supposed to be in the movie, since Cuarón was wary of hiring him due to his telenovela fame and heartthrob status. But García Bernal convinced him that their real-life friendship would be the deciding factor for the story, so Cuaron went with it. As a result, Luna embodies the youthful bravado that masks insecurity, creating one of the greatest coming-of-age performances in global cinema.
