Gringo (2018)

GRINGO, a dark comedy mixed with white-knuckle action and dramatic intrigue, explores the battle of survival for businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) when he finds himself crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal.

Director:

Nash Edgerton

Writers:

Anthony Tambakis (screenplay by), Matthew Stone (screenplay by)

Stars:

Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, David Oyelowo

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joel Edgerton	...	Richard Rusk
Charlize Theron	...	Elaine Markinson
David Oyelowo	...	Harold Soyinka
Thandie Newton	...	Bonnie Soyinka
Bashir Salahuddin	...	Stu
Glenn Kubota	...	Shigetoshi Yasumura
Melonie Diaz	...	Mia
Amanda Seyfried	...	Sunny
Harry Treadaway	...	Miles
Theo Taplitz	...	Justin
Paris Jackson	...	Nelly
Yul Vazquez	...	Angel Valverde
Hernán Mendoza	...	Celerino Sanchez
Hector Kotsifakis	...	Roberto Vega
Ricardo Esquerra	...	Sanchez's Brother in Law

Storyline

An exhilarating mix of dark comedy, white-knuckle action and dramatic intrigue, Gringo joyrides into Mexico, where mild-mannered businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) finds himself at the mercy of his back-stabbing business colleagues back home, local drug lords and a morally conflicted black-ops mercenary. Crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal, Harold battles to survive his increasingly dangerous situation in ways that raise the question: Is he out of his depth - or two steps ahead?

---

Plot Keywords:

american abroad | american in mexico | drug kingpin | drug cartel | drug mule | 

---

Taglines:

An American Corporation, The Mexican Cartel, Chances Are This Won't End Well.

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

rated R for language throughout, violence and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Australia USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish French Yoruba

Release Date:

9 March 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gringo

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,722,420, 11 March 2018

Gross USA:

$4,969,853

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,001,627

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amazon Studios, Blue-Tongue Films, Denver and Delilah Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amanda Seyfried asked David Oyelowo about his accent during filming and stated that she had an encounter once with a Nigerian prince. Oyelowo is a Nigerian yoruba prince.

---

Goofs

When the bartender calls Black Panther to come after Harold, his phone's screen stays on, showing the actual time, instead of going blank.

---

Quotes

Harold Soyinka: [Referring to Peter and Judas from the Bible] One was a man who had a crisis of faith and the other was a man who sold his soul for personal gain. So, you have to decide which one you want to be.

---

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: A Wrinkle in Time/Gringo (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Just Like Heaven
Written by Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams, Laurence Tolhurst
Performed by Gabriel Flores y su Mariachi Internacional
Courtesy of Amazon Content Services LLC

User Reviews

Hilarious black comedy

Gringo (2018) is a black comedy with half a dozen tightly intertwined subplots, in which nearly everybody is out to deceive, betray, and/or cheat everybody else. The two innocents in this coterie of scoundrels are Harold (David Oyelowo, O.B.E.) and Sunny (Amanda Seyfried). Harold might more aptly be yclept Matt, as he allows everybody walk all over him, secure in the conviction that good will prevail and the just will be rewarded - although these convictions will be severely tested. All of the plots revolve about Richard (Joel Edgerton), a self-centered narcissist with a seriously defective moral compass, and his designs to cheat everybody, or their designs to reciprocate.

None of the characters is particularly likeable, although many are the type of intriguing villains one loves to hate. Unfortunately, this also applies to Harold and Sunny. While we sympathize with Harold, we never really like him or even root for his success. This isn't the fault of Oyelowo, who plays the character with conviction. But Harold is a total doofus, while the other characters are so much more interesting to watch.

Production values are more than adequate, with a refreshing lack of distracting jiggly-cam shots. Performances by Sharlto Copley, Charlize Theron and Thandie Newton also deserve praise. Excellent script by Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone.