Picture Credit: Osmosis Films and Fifth Season
Netflix has scored the streaming debut of the documentary Going Varsity in Mariachi, directed by Sam Osborn and Alejandra Vasquez. The doc looks deep into the world of high school mariachi.
Following its initial Sundance Film Festival 2023 premiere, the documentary was showcased at several film festivals, including the AFI Latin American Film Festival and SXSW. While it’s available on VOD platforms, this marks the first time it’s been available as a streaming subscription service.
Here’s the official logline for the documentary, giving you some idea of what you can expect:
“In the competitive world of high school mariachi, the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of Coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions.”
The documentary received high scores from critics who caught it at various film festivals throughout 2023. Sporting a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, some of the favorable outlets included The Wrap, which said, “The insightful and lively doc tracks the impact on students that comes from the opportunity to belong to a collective creative endeavor.”
IndieWire was equally praising, saying, “It’s handsomely shot by Michael Crommett, who highlights the crisp lines of the trajes and the caked-on makeup the women wear. There are nail-biting moments and heart-wrenching ones as well.”
Going Varsity in Mariachi is a production of Osmosis Films and Fifth Season. James Lawler, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., and Julia Pontecorvo are producers.
This represents the latest in a string of licensed documentary pickups for Netflix US throughout 2024 to stand alongside Netflix’s own lineup of Original docs and docu-series. Some other notable docs Netflix has licensed this year include a Nickelback documentary, Sue Bird: In the Clutch, and Tell Them You Love Me.
For everything coming up on Netflix in the United States throughout August 2024, keep checking back to our preview for all the upcoming new movies and series.
Will you be checking out this documentary when it drops onto Netflix? Let us know in the comments.