"Con Tu Vida Me Respondes": The Top 10 Best Films Based on Corridos

Corridos have been around since the 19th century and they began as ballads for revolutionaries & bandits and then much later switched completely to criminals in the drug world & their hitmen. There’s a lot of opinions on corridos being something bad & in poor taste, but most of the general public in Mexico and Latina America as a whole still listen to them & prefer them over any other type of music. 

The new generation of corridos are different sounding & for sure glorify criminals (no denying that), but the ones from the old school era (70’s, 80’s, 90’s) were regional ballads made to tell stories of criminals that ended up in the wrong paths in life & ultimately left for dead. They were seen as warnings to people, and some people saw them as important stories of the past to remember.  

Mexican film productions based on corridos have been around since the 1970’s and they were very popular with the theater-going audiences. The demand was high and this lead to many corridos coming to life as films.

I picked 10 films that I feel portray their corridos very well and truly brought to life. 

These 10 I truly feel are the very best. 

10. Pistolero A Sueldo (1989)

Musician Rigoberto Rosales’ first on-screen appearance in a film was in Contrabando y Traicion (1977) and a decade later he appears in his very own film that’s also based on a corrido, which he sings of course.

The corrido "Asesino A Sueldo" goes into great deal of an assassin being hired by someone to kill several enemies in various towns. Ultimately, the assassin’s last hit leads him into his own demise—a kid shoots him with a Mauser rifle. 

The film portrayal is an obscure title that very little remember, but favor it for sure. I’m a fan of the film big time and I could only hope this one reaches out to more people. 

Watch Pistolero A Sueldo on Picardia Nacional

9. Las Tres Tumbas (1980)

A good example of a corrido coming to life and extends its story all-around. This one isn’t about revenge or criminals at all. It is about 3 men who are killed at a party long ago and their father, now an old man, is alone caring for the family ranch and visiting his 3 son’s graves. This corrido was written by Julian Garza and the song was popularized by Los Cadetes De Linares.  

8. El Corrido De Los Perez: Tierra De Sangre (1992)

El Corrido De Los Perez is an old corrido that continues to be performed to this very day. The song takes place in 1911 where two rivaling families are competing/betting on a horse race which leads to everyone there shooting each other out of jealousy & feeling shame of losing. The film portrayal takes on its original theme with a modern-day setting. 

Filmmaker Bernabe Melendrez “El Gatillero” told me in an interview that this was the film that truly kickstarted his career. This was his film and all made by him. 

His obsession with the corrido lead him to finance the film on his own and shoot it in his hometown since he couldn’t exactly make it where the corrido is originally set in. 

Read my exclusive interview with Bernabe Melendrez “El Gatillero” in the 2nd issue of

La Cynthia Magazine

Watch El Corrido De Los Perez for free on YouTube

7. La Camioneta Gris (1990)

This corrido is about a man & a woman smuggling drugs in a customized grey truck. The film of course adds in a lot of drama which consists of anti-drug innuendos. This film portrayal takes it time to develop & features great action. Doesn’t leave anything out from the corrido either. This is one of the most popular & well-known songs from Los Tigres Del Norte.

6. Los Dos Amigos (1977)

Valentin Trujillo + Pedro Infante Jr + Ruben Galindo Jr + Los Cadetes De Linares = perfection.

Another corrido brought to life the right way. This one is about 2 train-robbing friends that show no fear and then one of them ends up arrested & killed. 

Read the archival review here: https://www.trashmex.com/post/los-dos-amigos-1977

5. La Venganza De Maria (1983)

From the same director & producers of Entre Hierba, Polvo y Plomo, this is another corrido brought to life in a Monterrey, Nuevo León setting. Alicia Encinas is Maria for sure! 

Read the archival review here: https://www.trashmex.com/post/la-venganza-de-maria-1983

Watch La Venganza De Maria on Picardia Nacional

4. 30 Segundos Para Morir (1981)

Based on the corrido “Los Tres Amigos” by Los Tigres Del Norte, the film portrayal brings it to life and despite a very low budget, there’s still a lot of heart & dedication in it. 

3. Pistoleros Famosos (1981)

Pistoleros Famosos is about many famous bandits & drug runners. Composer Julian Garza compiled all the “famous” gunmen into one amazing as hell corrido. The film portrayal of the corrido is a huge favorite amongst fans of the music & the films of this era. And with good reason, too.  

Check out the Trash-Mex Podcast episode “Me Dicen El Asesino Por Ahi” which covers Pistoleros Famosos.

Watch Pistoleros Famosos on Picardia Nacional

2. La Banda Del Carro Rojo (1978)

It’s factual that Contrabando y Traicion (1977) was the first “narco” film and based on a corrido about such people. La Banda Del Carro Rojo then came along and did it so much better. 

This was the first film that the Galindo family had made in Brownsville, Texas and while their budget was low and the script was constantly changing, they still managed to make one of the best narco films of all-time & one of the best films based on a corrido. This film also made Mario & Fernando Almada even more famous in Mexico & the United States.

The song & film is about a group of drug smugglers dubbed “La Banda Del Carro Rojo” (the red car gang) and on their way to Chicago to smuggle a huge amount of cocaine, they are snitched on and gunned down by Texas rangers. The leader of the gang “Lino Quintana” is the last to die and when he’s asked who was he working for, his final words are: “Yo No Se Cantar.” (I won’t sing.) 

The corrido was written by legendary composer Paulino Vargas and he claims to have slightly exaggerated the real-life story, but some say the song is completely fictitious. 

There are many renditions of the song done many famous musicians, but Los Tigres Del Norte did it the best. And they did it so good that they starred in the film portrayal as themselves and even perform “Contrabando y Traicion” in the beginning and the titular song at the end. Very fitting.

1. Entre Hierba, Polvo y Plomo (1984)

Based on a corrido written by composer Reynaldo Martinez, Entre Hierba, Polvo y Plomo is about a father & his son that are in the drug trafficking business and when the son becomes a drug addict—his father confronts him about it and this leads to their demises.

Fernando Duran Rojas directed the film portrayal and not only does the film bring the song very much to life—it also adds much more charisma to it with a lot of Monterrey culture & music, lots of action-shooting scenes & much machismo drama with an all-star cast playing. 

Entre Hierba, Polvo y Plomo is a must-see film and one that I truly feel brings a corrido to life 100%. When you hear the song, you will definitely think of this film. The most popular version of the song is by Los Cadetes De Linares. 

Read the archival review here: https://www.trashmex.com/post/entre-hierba-polvo-y-plomo-1984