Cassandro

Cassandro is a drama based on the real story of Saúl Armendáriz, an amateur wrestler from El Paso who competes in the Mexican lucha libre scene. Tired of losing while hidden behind a mask, Saúl follows his trainer Sabrina's suggestion to develop an exótico character, a role built on exaggeratedly gay stereotypes that traditionally exists only to be beaten. Saúl instead transforms the part into the flamboyant, self-assured Cassandro, winning over audiences and rising to international fame. The success overturns the conventions of a notoriously macho sport and forces Saúl to reckon with its effect on his closest relationships, among them his mother Yocasta and his secret lover Gerardo.

The film was directed by Roger Ross Williams, who wrote the screenplay with David Teague. It follows Williams's documentary The Apollo (2019) as the second feature he directed. Gael García Bernal plays Saúl, with Roberta Colindrez as Sabrina, Perla de la Rosa as Yocasta, Joaquín Cosío as Lorenzo, Raúl Castillo as Gerardo, and the wrestler El Hijo del Santo appearing as himself. Ted Hope, Todd Black and Julie Goldman produced the Mexico–United States co-production.

Released in September 2023, the film runs 106 minutes. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.5 from roughly 4,500 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.7 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 7.3 from 139 reviews places it above both audience scores.