A still from Facing El Chapo. Photo: IMDB
The film is based on the true-life events of January 2016, when the two officers unwittingly found Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, better known as 'El Chapo' (or Shorty), in their custody. Two articles written that year by journalist Héctor de Mauleón — who shares co-writing credits for the film with Bernardo Esquinca — work as source for the drama directed by Chava Cartas.
Drug lord and mafioso Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, better known as “El Chapo” (or ‘Shorty’), because of his short stature, was a man who operated at high stakes. The most wanted man in Mexico and the head honcho of the crime syndicate the Sinaloa Cartel, he is dreaded and revered in equal measure. For years he defied law enforcement agencies, attacked his enemies and marketed drugs, becoming one of the undisputed kingpins of the underworld.
It is the story of two federal officers’ encounter with this underworld legend that is the inspiration of Netflix’s new Mexican thriller, Facing El Chapo, directed by Chava Cartas. The film is based on the true-life events of January 2016, when the two officers unwittingly found the ruthless drug lord in their custody.
The cops’ tale
Two articles written that year by journalist Héctor de Mauleón — who shares co-writing credits for the film with Bernardo Esquinca — work as source for Facing El Chapo, which shifts focus away from the drug lord-mafioso and moves the lens to the perspective of the two policemen who bring in the criminal before his own people could get to him.
Officer Arturo Carmona (Alfonso Herrera) is a regular family man. He has a loving, supportive wife and two young daughters who are as nice and troublesome as any elementary school kids. When his wife announces another pregnancy, he knows the new addition would strain their already stretched finances, and so volunteers for a night shift. Though it comes with risks, it is far better paying.
A still from Facing El Chapo. Photo: IMDB
His fellow night patrol officer is Héctor Rosales (Noé Hernández), cocky and apparently not very reliable. It is an intentional set up, so the viewer regards him as an antithesis to Carmona. There is a tense dynamic between the two, as both men are unsure and untrusting of the other. It is an interesting way to set the tone between the two officers, who every night are seen sipping copious amounts of coffee and patrolling the city while taking jibes at each other.
The first half of the film delves into the relationship between the two officers and the events that lead them to nab El Chapo (Héctor Kotsifakis). With the Mexican marines on his trail, El Chapo escapes. Only to be captured by Carmona and Rosales, as he and his second-in-command flee in a stolen car.
This is when the tension starts, as both officers find themselves at a loss for how to respond to the situation. Do they inform headquarters or the military? Meanwhile, El Chapo tries to bribe his way out.
Holding El Chapo
The officers face off, as Rosales alleges that Carmona’s downfall is being a stickler for protocol and not taking action swiftly. With El Chapo’s men close on their heels, they wait for orders before the syndicate and its network get to them.
Even though there are moments when the pauses and tension get a bit stretched, it is never too much for one to lose interest; it keeps you invested. What works particularly well is that the film never once loses sight of the fact that this is the story of the two officers, not the criminal they have captured.
Though violence is non-negotiable in a narrative like this, it is never too much, making it a believable 36 hours in the lives of two cops on a confidential operation.
