The movie is called Clika, and it’s very much a movie by relative unknowns, starring relative unknowns, seemingly doing a lot with a little in terms of industry connections. It centers on an aspiring musician named Chito who is determined to realize his dreams of stardom. A clip of one of his live performances goes viral, thrusting Chito into a world he doesn’t understand and giving him the opportunity to make his mark on Mexican-American music. But things aren’t always what they seem, and Chito ends up playing a game more dangerous than he ever expected.
Critics and Audiences Just Can’t Agree on Clika
The consensus among critics is that Clicka‘s a pale imitation of 8 Mile, capitalizing on stereotypes of Mexican-Americans rather than uplifting the culture and the music, both of which are incredibly vibrant and deserve more than to be reduced to clichés. “Música Mexicana fans are likely to appreciate the fact that this drama is rooted in the genre, but it’s pretty stiff, formulaic stuff, and it doesn’t effectively capture the vibrancy of the music,” says critic Jeffrey Anderson. And some fans elsewhere on the internet agree with that take, with one saying, “I really thought it was going to emphasize the struggles in the Latino community, but instead we received a typical stereotype. Oh, and lots of women are being used as eye candy cuz can’t forget that.”
Other fans, however, were happy to sing Clika‘s praises, highlighting the tension, drama, and surprisingly heartfelt love story that blossomed throughout the film. While not a particularly strong cultural representation, audiences found it a decent coming-of-age story, with a rags-to-riches sheen that made it easy to overlook certain narrative decisions. One fan said, “A perfect introduction to corridos tumbados music for people new to the genre and a happy ending that will send you home smiling.” Overall, Clika is definitely not a movie for everyone, and your enjoyment of it will depend entirely on what you’re going into it looking for.
Do you have a favorite moment from the movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to keep the conversation going.
