The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Seen it?2005 | 121 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Western
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and adventure fans. If you loved News of the World or Bad Day at Black Rock, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 1 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$12 million worldwide on a $15 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 75K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones
- Tommy Lee JonesPete Perkins
- Barry PepperMike Norton
- Dwight YoakamSheriff Frank Belmont
- January JonesLou Ann Norton
- Melissa LeoRachel
- Julio Cesar CedilloMelquiades Estrada
- Levon HelmOld Man with Radio
- Mel RodriguezCaptain Gomez
- Cecilia SuárezRosa
- Ignacio GuadalupeLucio