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Yucatan
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Spanish comedy about con men has language, violence.

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Yucatan
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What's the Story?
In YUCATAN, cruise ship pianist Clayderman (Rodrigo De la Serna) and his paramour singer and dancer Veronica (Stephanie Cayo) make a nice living creating admirably crafty and intricate schemes to charmingly defraud wealthy vacationing passengers. On this particular voyage, they spot several worthy options, including Antonio (Joan Pero), a humble baker who just won 160 million Euros in the lottery. It's bad enough that Antonio's leaching sons-in-law are panting in anticipation of inheriting after the old guy dies. But they are no match for Clayderman and his crew. Clayderman's old partner-in-crime, and Veronica's ex, Lucas (Luis Tosar), shows up on board as a rival for the loot, masquerading as a grieving widower with a dying child, working to gain Antonio's sympathy and a major donation. These warring factions create situations that include a spur-of-the moment wedding between Antonio's youngest daughter, Leticia (Alicia Fernandez), and a gay dancer in Veronica's floor show, several kidnappings, mock violence featuring chain saws and fake severed limbs, and a budding romance between Antonio and a middle-aged woman who isn't what she seems. Antonio, sniffing out the various frauds and disgusted by what money does to people, vows to divest himself of the money that seems to be causing so many problems. He enlists Clayderman, Lucas, and their teams to achieve that goal without letting his daughters and sons-in-law know. The story begins with the advisory that lottery winners and their winnings are cursed. The ending confirms that premise.
Is It Any Good?
This movie is fun and inventive, sharing much in common with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lady Eve, Fargo, and The Sting, other successful con-game comedies. Language and especially the violence, even the mock kind, make this more appropriate for teens, who may enjoy the crude language and frenetic comic acting designed to underscore the many personal and business conflicts that arise among the frustrated criminals whose multiple plans are repeatedly thwarted. At timesYucatan explodes into cartoonish exaggeration, but fans of such over-the-top fare will probably be amused.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how scam artists have to be students of human nature in order to be successful at their work. In what ways does Yucatan show how human failings, like greed, jealousy, and envy, make people easy marks for financial predators?
Did you root for the criminals or the victims? Why?
How does the movie take sides? What do the filmmakers do to make the criminals seem more charming and intelligent than most of their victims?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 31, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: February 15, 2019
- Cast: Rodrigo De la Serna , Luis Tosar , Joan Pera , Stephanie Cayo
- Director: Danierl Monzon
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 129 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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