Not So Brokeback Mountain: Jaripeo Sheds Light on Queer Rancheros

Sundance Film Review: Jaripeo
Director: Efraín Mojica & Rebecca Zweig
JCPR&C
Premiere: 01.25.2026

When I saw the synopsis for Jaripeo, I knew I had to do everything in my Senior Staff Writer power to see it. As someone who is queer and (if you couldn’t tell by the name) whose heritage comes from Mexico, I was excited by the opportunity to connect with my family’s culture in a way I haven’t before. That being said, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed as Jaripeo fell flat despite a promising premise. Don’t get me wrong — it has its tender moments and stunning visuals, showcasing Mexico’s culture in a way that’s different and new — but the film gives you so little of people whose stories have so much to give.

Jaripeo follows one of the film’s co-directors, Efrain Mojica, as our “not out yet but will be once this film comes out” queer guide into the lives of some of the regular attendees of Michoacán’s jaripeos. A jaripeo is basically the Mexican version of a rodeo, which focuses heavily on bull-riding. Though in a place where the patriarchy and hypermasculinity thrive, there is always queerness bound to be found. Efrain introduces us to a couple of other queers on our journey, like Joseph, who is a genderfluid, femme-presenting spitball of a human. With their long acrylic nails and eyelash extensions, Joseph is welcomed openly at the jaripeos and is even a leader at the church they attend. Another is Pirinola, the jaripeo’s resident drag queen, who is a fan favorite among the attendees.

I understand the idea that the directors of this film were going for, though at times, it felt like they were more focused on the aesthetic B-roll than the actual golden material they were given to work with. Throughout the documentary’s 70-minute runtime, we are given incredibly juicy anecdotes from several characters, yet the film glosses over them and skips on to the next somewhat interesting thing, only to abandon that once again for B-roll of a handsome queer man riding a mechanical bull in bisexual lighting. I too love to admire the beauty of a gay person, but I care more about what they have to say about their experience rather than just their appearance. You can’t just give me a person like Joseph who delivers one of the best lines in the film — “I am proud God exists and that he made me in his image” — and then just never show me them again! You also can’t start a conversation around how patriarchy and hypermasculinity are usually a cover for queerness in men and then just never build upon it.

All that being said, Jaripeo is not a bad documentary; I just wanted more. It’s refreshing to see that even in a small rural city in Mexico, there is acceptance and community to be found. Hopefully others who see Jaripeo will use what little the film gives as a stepping stone to create something that furthers the conversation in the future. —Yonni Uribe

Read more of SLUG’s coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.