Narco Cultura

See also: Narcoculture in Mexico

Narco Cultura is a 2013 documentary film about the Mexican drug war in Ciudad Juárez, directed by Shaul Schwarz. The two main focal points of the movie are Edgar Quintero of the narcocorrido band Buknas de Culiacán and crime scene investigator Richi Soto.

Narco Cultura
Directed by	Shaul Schwarz
Produced by	Jay Van Hoy Lars Knudsen Todd Hagopian
Edited by	Bryan Chang Jay Arthur Sterrenberg
Music by	Jeremy Turner
Production company	Parts & Labor
Release date	November 22, 2013 (2013-11-22)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$145,088

Plot

Narco Cultura is a documentary film that depicts the lives of two individuals during the Mexican drug war. One main character is a crime scene investigator and the other a Los Angeles musician, providing different perspectives that highlight the impact of the war along the Mexican-American border.

Through interviews and immersive footage the documentary explores the daily lives of Richi Soto and Edgar Quintero. As the lead singer of the group Buknas de Culiacán, Quintero writes and performs songs that celebrate the daring and often violent actions of the cartels. The film documents his growing influence across Mexico and the United States. This builds suspense for the other character Soto through the depiction of murder scenes as a result of the growing death rates in Mexico.

Notable Quotes

In the film, Richi Soto states:

“In 2007, we processed 320 murders. Then the drug war arrived in our city. In 2008, we processed 1,623 homicides. In 2009, there were 2,754 murders. 3,622 were murdered in Juarez in 2010. In El Paso, TX., just across the river there were only five murders that same year. Making it the safest city in the United States.”

In the film, Edgar Quintero states:

“My son was born and everything was marching good but God works in mysterious ways and I ended up in jail. So when I get out of jail, one of my neighbors approaches me and he offers…and he asks if I want to sing in a band his dad was starting called Buknas de Culiacan. And we’re just starting and we’re coming strong because this is something that I’ve been looking for and that I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid. You know it’s not something I woke up today and said oh, I want to be a singer today. You know it’s just something I’ve been pursuing.”

Themes

The film Narco Cultura projects the poignant exploration of the intersectionality between culture and cartel violence. Systemic corruption and the allure of cartel culture continue to be culturally significant in both Mexico and the United States. While Ciudad Juárez has seen some improvements in security since the film’s release in 2013, cartel violence persists in many parts of Mexico. Soto lost 3 colleagues in 2010, Juan Luis, Saul Chavez, and Oscar Miranda. All three were assassinated either on the job or going home. This fuels Soto’s need for revenge in catching criminals as a crime scene investigator.

Narcocorridos have developed significantly over time, yet they remain a topic of controversy within society. Artists like Quintero have fused several musical influences while continuing to draw inspiration from cartel narratives. The recent popularity of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, have created a larger platform for musicians to reach a larger audience raising ethical concerns.

Music

These songs were played throughout the documentary with the intention of guiding the audience through scene to scene. The film used several songs from that were written by different artists:

El Mini 6 is a song inspired by the life of Raúl Meza Torres, an assassin for the Sinaloa Cartel. His alias was “El Mini 6” and the song by Los Buknas de Culiacan recalls Raúl’s life as an inspiration before his death in 2010.

No.	Title	Credits
1.	“El Mini 6”	Written by Los Buknas de Culiacan Performed by Edgar Quintero Courtesy of Twins Enterprises ℗ 2010
2.	"Ojos Tumbados"	Written by Edgar Quintero Performed by Edgar Quintero ℗ 2018
3.	"Sanguinarios Del M1”	Written by El Komander Performed by Los BuKnas de Culiacan Performed by El Movimiento Alterado Courtesy of Twins Enterprises ℗ 2010
4.	"Carteles Unidos"	Written by El Komander Performed by El Movimiento Alterado Courtesy of Twin Enterprises ℗ 2010
5.	"Fiesta Del Cartel”	Written by Los BuKnas de Culiacan Performed by Edgar Quintero Courtesy of Twiins Enterprises ℗ 2011
6.	"Estrategia De Escape"	Written by El Komander Performed by El Movimiento Alterado Courtesy of Twins Enterprises ℗ 2015
7.	"EL Cigarrito Bañado"	Written by El Komander Performed by El Komander and Edgar Quintero Courtesy of twins Enterprises ℗ 2011
8.	“El Juicio Final"	Written & Performed by Los Buknas de Culiacan Courtesy of Twins Enterprises ℗ 2012
9.	“El Compa 300”	Written by Edgar Quintero Performed by Edgar Quintero Courtesy of Twiins Enterprises ℗ 2017
10.	“Orden Exigido (EL Pistolero)"	Written & Performed by Los Buknas de Culiacan Courtesy of Twiins Enterprises ℗ 2010
11.	“III”	Composed by Michal Jacaszek Vocal arrangements by Stefan Wasolowski Courtesy of Guantaft Recorda

Conclusion

Narco Cultura serves as a historical archive and a lasting analysis of how media embodies society's struggles through the distinct narratives of a crime scene investigator and a narcocorrido musician. The impacts of Soto and Quintero remain relevant as they continue to provoke discussions about morality, identity, and the human toll on systemic violence. The documentary's enduring impact lies in its ability to challenge viewers to confront truths about the ongoing widespread societal impact of the international war on drugs.

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 89% approval rating based on 4 reviews, with an average ranking of 7.6/10. On Metacritic, the film have a score of 74 out of a 100 by 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov awarded the film with 4 out of 5 stars, while Tomas Hachard of Slant Magazine gave it 3 out of 4.

Writing for the National Catholic Reporter, Sr. Rose Pacatte wrote "Narco Cultura is about a "disturbingly glorified conflict" that no one is paying attention to and how pop culture functions in society and in commerce. For people who care, it is a film not to be missed".

Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor called the documentary as "powerful", adding that the film "gets inside the world of two men who, in very different ways, inhabit this horror".

According to Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club, the film is "[b]oth an unflinching record of Mexico's drug war and an investigation of how violence becomes unreal and glamorized".

Following its screening at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter said "This issue-based journalism piece yields diminishing returns the deeper it digs".

Stephen Holden of The New York Times was of the same view, he added "There is nothing here that hasn't been more thoroughly documented in other studies of the drug-related crime that grips Juárez".

Geoff Berkshire of Variety praised the film for being an "eye-opening examination" and for "its unsettling pop-culture side effects", calling Narco Cultura "overwhelming [and] absorbing".

External links

• Narco Cultura at IMDb

• Borunda, D. (2025). Juárez no longer in top 10 among world’s most-violent cities, now ranked no. 13. Retrieved from on March 12, 2025. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2025/02/26/most-dangerous-cities-juarez-mexico-violent-rankings-2024/80039744007/

• Schwarz, S. (Director). Narco Cultura film (2013). https://www.primevideo.com/-/es/detail/Narco-Cultura/0M6L5F9BGOIPEKK27RABC95XU3