Chupa

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2:07

Chupa

PG

2023

1h 35m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Shy 13-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) flies from Kansas City to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time. There he meets his grandfather and former lucha libre champion Chava (Demián Bichir), energetic, wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo (Nickolas Verdugo), and fearless, hip cousin Luna (Ashley Ciarra). But just as Alex begins to get his bearings, he discovers a mythical creature living under his grandfather's shed: a young chupacabra cub, which he recognizes from stories of the feared, full-grown chupacabra, fabled to feed on farmers' livestock. Alex soon learns that his new friend "Chupa" has a secret history with his family, and that dogged, dangerous scientist Richard Quinn (Christian Slater) is hunting the misunderstood creature to try and harness his powers. To protect Chupa from impending danger, Alex sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will push the bonds of his newfound family to the brink, and remind him that life's burdens are lighter when you don't have to carry them alone.

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Critics Consensus

Uneven yet ultimately endearing, Chupa channels classic family-friendly adventures with evident enthusiasm and a whole bunch of heart.

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

04/11/2023

The characters in “Chupa” are likable and memorable, with a fun dynamic. And Cuarón... creates a rich sense of place here, encouraging the viewers to come to love Mexico as much as Alex eventually does.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

04/07/2023

The little Chupa was so cute.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

04/07/2023

A sweet but very minor movie.

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

04/18/2023

Chupa is very well put together, nicely filmed and performed, pays homage to Spielberg early and often – and will engross the children on the couch for 95 minutes, no worries at all.

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Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

04/16/2023

6/10

The film is harmless fun handled well enough thanks to the young cast, solid work from Bichir, and this cuddly winged beast.

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Ronak Kotecha

The Times of India

04/14/2023

3/5

While Chupa has a lot of heart and a touching bond between the kids and the creature, it falls short in terms of delivering consistent thrills.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 16

A failed attempt to recreate the "E.T." formula with a Mexican legend. The creature is cute, but the story is so predictable, simplistic, and corny that it becomes a completely forgettable pastime.

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Alexis D.

@thealexisd_04 07/25/2025

Cutesy… love the story of the grandson reconnecting with his family and their heritage.

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Annie P

@RT47896208 08/20/2024

Such a cute family film!

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Maddie M

@RT65960440 08/18/2024

The movie passed the time on a stormy Saturday night so that was fine. My main peev with it, beyond the poor animation quality, was that the young cub somehow survives the whole stint of protection in the family barn without a single meal.

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Aniela S

@RT75428653 08/09/2024

So cute! Solid family watch. Kids loved it.

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Lukas B

@percy16 04/01/2024

good flim, charming, lots of heart

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Jonás Cuarón

Director

Demián Bichir

Chava

Evan Whitten

Alex

Christian Slater

Richard Quinn

Ashley Ciarra

Luna

Nickolas Verdugo

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Chupa: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Shy 13-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) flies from Kansas City to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time. There he meets his grandfather and former lucha libre champion Chava (Demián Bichir), energetic, wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo (Nickolas Verdugo), and fearless, hip cousin Luna (Ashley Ciarra). But just as Alex begins to get his bearings, he discovers a mythical creature living under his grandfather's shed: a young chupacabra cub, which he recognizes from stories of the feared, full-grown chupacabra, fabled to feed on farmers' livestock. Alex soon learns that his new friend "Chupa" has a secret history with his family, and that dogged, dangerous scientist Richard Quinn (Christian Slater) is hunting the misunderstood creature to try and harness his powers. To protect Chupa from impending danger, Alex sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will push the bonds of his newfound family to the brink, and remind him that life's burdens are lighter when you don't have to carry them alone.

Director: Jonás Cuarón
Producer: Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Screenwriter: Sean Kennedy Moore, Joe Barnathan, Marcus Rinehart, Brendan Bellomo
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: 26th Street Pictures
Rating: PG (Peril|Thematic Elements|Some Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 7, 2023
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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