A gun-toting shoot ’em up that’s a sequel and remake at the same time seeks out streaming revenge

It’s unusual for a movie to exist as both a sequel and remake at the same time, but the mere existence of Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi was bizarre enough that it makes complete sense for Desperado to fulfill both functions.

Partly funded by its writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor subjecting himself to medical experiments as a guinea pig, the action thriller was made for thrifty budget of $7000, but proved so popular and enduring that it ultimately ended up being selected by the Library for Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its status as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Desperado was a thousand times more expensive, and ended up recouping its production costs eight times over at the box office, so it was wise move on Rodriguez’s part to straddled the line between follow-up and do-over, with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek’s crackling chemistry giving both of their Hollywood careers a significant boost in the process.

Of course, it also helps that their smoldering exchanges unfold in an all-guns-blazing shoot ’em up that leaves no stylistic stone unturned, setting the stage for what would become many of its creator’s trademarks over the next quarter of a century. Even now, Desperado evidently has enough to win over modern-day viewers, with FlixPatrol naming it as one of the most-watched titles on ViaPlay heading into the weekend.

In terms of underrated trilogies, it’s hard to have that conversation without El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico getting at least one mention.