There are not many films that can keep you on the edge of your seat these days. If you love suspense and action, Tejano is the film for you!
When Javi’s (Patrick Mackie) grandfather becomes sick, Javi resorts to extreme measures to get money. Javi makes a deal with a drug-dealing queenpin to smuggle drugs across the border to receive some quick cash. When things don’t go as planned, Javi is on the run and ready to fight at all cost.
There are plenty of films that center on drug dealers and about just as many that center on the Mexican cartel – many of them happen to be really good. Films such as Sicario and Blow are a couple of those that will be forever iconic films. I feel that Tejano would be on the same list if it were a blockbuster film with a huge budget and a lot of promotion backing it. But even though this film doesn’t have all the backing, it doesn’t make this any less of a great flick.
“…gets robbed of his money which he was going to use for his grandfather’s healthcare.”
First going into it, I didn’t know a thing about the film other than the title. The film opens up with a man is crossing a river and you can tell that the character is crossing the border illegally. So, after watching that first scene, I expected it to be a film about immigration – I was wrong. The film picks up early on when Javi gets robbed of his money which he was going to use for his grandfather’s healthcare. Javi doesn’t hesitate when he has the opportunity to earn some quick cash by smuggling in drugs.
Once Javi crosses the border, he is pulled aside when the cast he is wearing gives off some suspicious vibes. Javi escapes and is on the run from border patrol. Once he meets up with the man that got him the risky job, Javi thinks he in the clear but that is not the case. The same guy that brought him in on the job turns his back on him and attempts to kill him. Now Javi is on the run from the border patrol and the drug dealers.
By the third act the film goes from a suspense drama to an action thriller, something that I did not necessarily see coming, but when it does happen, it happens naturally. Javi goes back home only to find that his ill grandfather is now a badass grandfather.
“…a hidden gem that sneaks under the radar and will have you talking, telling your friends about…”
The film did a great job at answering questions before you even have them. By that I mean that the writer lets you know what skills the protagonists have, so by the end of the film, you know why they were such great shots. But there is one thing that I didn’t get. Javi had a broken arm so the cast could be more believable, now he has the broken arm for most of the film and until the end. But somehow he happens to be a deadeye shot with a broken arm. It was the only thing that stood out to me that wasn’t quite believable.
Tejano is one of those films that can be described as a hidden gem as it sneaks under the radar and will have you talking, telling your friends about it, and wanting to watch it again. I have not watched a film with this much suspense in awhile. The acting was exceptional with actor Hector Roland Uribe (Arturo) being a standout in the film. Everything about this film had me interested from beginning to the very end. You need to see it!
Tejano (2018) Directed and written by David Blue Garcia. Starring Patrick Mackie, Roland Uribe, Adrian Gonzalez, Emma Perez-Trevino, Mayra Leal, Brian Bogart.
9 out of 10
