Johnny 100 Pesos

REVIEW
A mildly diverting suspense thriller which is based on a true incident. Teenager Johnny Garcia (Araiza) takes part in his first armed robbery with four ex-cons. The plan goes sour, and the five are forced to take hostages. The police are called in, they surround the place, and a media circus unfolds. The film starts off well, with some quirky details and amusing satire. But it soon becomes predictable and rather unexciting. Johnny is uninteresting, and his character rarely goes beyond the "young thug" stage. With little more insight than a newspaper headline, Johnny 100 Pesos appears to have stayed close to the actual events, which does not work in its favor. (Spanish with English subtitles)