In a world ruled by fear, betrayal is the only currency that buys freedom.
Cartel (2025) is a gritty, high-stakes crime thriller that plunges deep into the violent underworld of narcotics empires, betrayal, and survival. Set between the scorched deserts of Mexico and the neon glow of the U.S. border cities, the film delivers a relentless ride through corruption, vengeance, and the cost of loyalty in a world where life is cheap — and power is everything.
The story follows Isabel Reyes (Ana de Armas), a former DEA informant who vanished after testifying against a major cartel. Years later, she resurfaces under a new identity, trying to rebuild a quiet life far from the chaos. But her past catches up when a new cartel faction, led by the ruthless Miguel Barrera (Édgar Ramírez), discovers her location and puts a price on her head — not just for revenge, but to send a message.
To survive, Isabel must return to the one thing she swore she’d never do again: play both sides. With enemies on every front and no one to trust, she reluctantly partners with a disillusioned federal agent (Pedro Pascal) and an ex-cartel sicario turned vigilante (Tenoch Huerta) to bring down the new regime from within. What follows is a descent into a brutal, high-risk game where justice is negotiated with bullets and blood, and the line between good and evil disappears in the smoke of gunfire.
Directed by Andrea Arnold with raw intensity and sharp social commentary, Cartel avoids glamorizing violence and instead delivers a hard look at how criminal networks grow in the cracks left by broken systems. It’s a story about survival, power, and the thin line between hero and monster.
Cartel is more than a drug war — it’s a reckoning.
