Latinx Representation in "Miss Bala"

 The upcoming film discussed in this article, "Miss Bala," is being hailed as a groundbreaking film in the representation of a Latina in the leading role. While the film is progressive in its casting and focus, with a diverse and Latinx dominated cast, crew and multidimensional female characters, it still revives some problematic stereotypes. The lead character is described as "a beauty queen trying to escape a violent drug cartel." While her character may be empowering, it still contextualizes Latinx identities under stereotypical frames, including the "fiery/spicy Latina" and the "gangster" in order to make the movie engaging enough to American audiences. Additionally, the director, while being progressive in terms of gender, is a white woman, while the producer is a Mexican man. Hopefully, with the intersection of their identities, the film will utilize intersectional character development within the confines of some problematic core plot points.