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Trailer

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

2005Movie2 h 1 minR

Crime
77
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Letterboxd3.7/5Metacritic777.2Rotten Tomatoes84%81%

A moving, bleak adventure movie about everyday modern life and crime, with standout performances and characters.

Good for friends night · drop-in friendly · thought-provoking

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Nobody is beyond redemption.

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.

Feels like

  • Modern Western
  • Grief and Redemption
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Cross-Border Journey
  • Character-Driven
  • Bleak Realism
  • Social Commentary
  • Melancholy
  • Atmospheric Cinematography

Cast

23 of 23

Crew

Directed by
Tommy Lee Jones
Written by
Guillermo Arriaga
Produced by
Tommy Lee Jones, Luc Besson, Michael Fitzgerald
Music by
Marco Beltrami

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

November 17, 2005 · 2 h 1 min · R

Released
November 17, 2005
Runtime
2 h 1 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Strong Language
Genres
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Western
Original language
English
Also spoken
Spanish
Made in
United States, France, Mexico
Budget
$15 million
Box office
$12 million
Available in
21 countries

Tropes

I Cannot Self-Terminate, New Old West, Oppressive Immigration Enforcement +4

  • I Cannot Self-Terminate
  • New Old West
  • Oppressive Immigration Enforcement
  • Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
  • Character Development
  • Grave Robbing
  • Riddle for the Ages

From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada?"

Questions about The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada?

fuboTVThe RokuVIX Sony Pictures Core

In the United States, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada streams on fuboTV and Sony Pictures Core, and it is free with ads on The Roku and VIX . You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 11 other countries.

Is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada worth watching?

77
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 77 (IMDb 7.3, Letterboxd 3.7 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 84%, and Metacritic 77).

Will I feel good after watching The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

Is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and pathos (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada a box office flop?

Budget$15 million
Box office$12 million

Yes: it cost about $15 million to make and earned $12 million worldwide, 80% of its budget.