How To Be A Latin Lover Movie Review | Common Sense Media

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Parents' Guide to

How to Be a Latin Lover Movie PG-13 2017 115 minutes How to Be a Latin Lover Poster Image
  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 7 Reviews
  • Kids Say 1 Review

Common Sense Media Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo By S. Jhoanna Robledo , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Comedy about aging gigolo has racy bits, stereotyping.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that How to Be a Latin Lover is a lighthearted comedy about an aging gigolo (Eugenio Derbez) who gets dumped by his elderly, very wealthy wife and must move in with his sister and her young son. It's pretty racy, with lots of sexual innuendo and suggestive…

 Why Age 13+? Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lots of sexual innuendo and suggestive dialogue/gestueres. Men and women are sho

 Language

Occasional strong language includes "s--t," "crap," "ass," "hell," and "idiot."

 Violence & Scariness

Two thugs beat up a man who owes them money, hitting him in the face and repeate

 Products & Purchases

Brands/labels seen or mentioned include Rolex, Go-Pro, Ferrari, Nissan, and Capt

 Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Social drinking. A man smokes cigars while lounging around. In one scene, two pe

 Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

Even the most self-centered, spoiled people have the ability to grow up and lear

 Positive Role Models

Maximo starts out as a crass gold digger who uses others: He takes advantage of

  • Parents Need to Know

    Parents need to know that How to Be a Latin Lover is a lighthearted comedy about an aging gigolo (Eugenio Derbez) who gets dumped by his elderly, very wealthy wife and must move in with his sister and her young son. It's pretty racy, with lots of sexual innuendo and suggestive language, as well as swimwear so scanty that it borders on non-existent. There's also some strong language ("s--t," "crap," etc.), cigar smoking, and drinking (once to excess, followed by a hangover). Characters fight and get beaten up. And while the movie initially plays on lots of stereotypes related to women and gender roles, in the end there's a message about the importance of love and family.

    To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

  • Sex, Romance & Nudity

    some

    Lots of sexual innuendo and suggestive dialogue/gestueres. Men and women are shown scantily clad by a pool.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Language

    some

    Occasional strong language includes "s--t," "crap," "ass," "hell," and "idiot."

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Violence & Scariness

    a little

    Two thugs beat up a man who owes them money, hitting him in the face and repeatedly punching him in the groin. Two men get into a knock-down brawl at a kid's birthday party. A man in a wheelchair gets hit by a car but isn't injured.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Products & Purchases

    a little

    Brands/labels seen or mentioned include Rolex, Go-Pro, Ferrari, Nissan, and Captain Crunch cereal.

  • Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

    a little

    Social drinking. A man smokes cigars while lounging around. In one scene, two people get pretty drunk; they pay for it in the morning.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Positive Messages

    some

    Even the most self-centered, spoiled people have the ability to grow up and learn to be humbler and think about others. That said, the movie also plays on stereotypes related to gender roles.

  • Positive Role Models

    a little

    Maximo starts out as a crass gold digger who uses others: He takes advantage of older women, his sister, and even his young nephew to get what he wants. Eventually he realizes that he needs to think of others, but that doesn't mean he can fix all the damage he caused. Stereotypes related to women and gender roles are very much present at first but eventually undermined.

Where to Watch

  • How to Be a Latin LoverMovie Review 1:09
  • How to Be a Latin Lover Trailer How to Be a Latin Lover
  • How to Be a Latin Lover Movie: Scene #1
  • How to Be a Latin Lover Movie: Scene #2
  • How to Be a Latin Lover Movie: Scene #3

How to Be a Latin Lover

Parent and Kid Reviews

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  • Parents Say (7)
  • Kids Say (1)
age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

See all 7 parent reviews age 2+

Based on 1 kid review

See all 1 kid review

What's the Story?

Ever since he was a young boy, Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) had one goal: to be the kept husband of a very rich, older woman. Now in his mid-40s (there's some dispute about his exact age), Maximo has achieved his dream ... until his wife dumps him for a younger man, and he finds himself on the street with no career skills and expensive tastes. Maximo's sister, Sara (Salma Hayek), reluctantly lets him stay with her and her young son, Hugo (Raphael Alejandro). While Maximo tries to find another rich wife, he decides to give his nephew lessons in HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVER. Rob Lowe co-stars as Maximo's best friend, another kept man, and Kristen Bell plays Maximo's cat-rescuing co-worker.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (7 ): Kids say (1 ):

Irreverent and infectious, with a healthy dash of raciness, this film is wacky fun. Derbez is shameless and often hysterical as a Latin lover gone to seed; he makes the film crackle with energy. Even though Maximo is a terrible person -- spoiled, self-centered, lazy and shallow -- it's fun to see him struggle with the tedious demands of the world, like earning money and demonstrating basic decency. His relationship with Hugo ultimately brings out the goodness in Maximo, revealing that, deep down, he has a streak of decency -- though he is still using the boy as a stepping stone to his next would-be wife (Raquel Welch).

Hayek's Sara also has good chemistry with her callous brother; they bicker like they've been fighting since childhood. It's the human connections in How to be a Latin Lover that make it rise above its outlandish plot and sometimes-broad stereotyping. We see that even someone like Maximo can get what they want, if they work for it. Despite its premise, the film somehow manages to seduce the audience's heart.

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Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about How to Be a Latin Lover's messages. How does Maximo change over the course of the movie? Does he become a better person? Does he learn humility?

  • Did you notice any stereotyping in the movie? How do characters' ideas about women and gender roles evolve over the course of the film?

  • What do you think about the relationship between Maximo and his nephew? Is he helping the boy learn how to approach girls, or is he reinforcing outdated, sexist views?

  • How does the movie portray drinking? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

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Movie Details

  • In theaters : April 28, 2017
  • On DVD or streaming : August 15, 2017
  • Cast : Eugenio Derbez , Salma Hayek , Rob Lowe
  • Director : Ken Marino
  • Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Pantelion Films
  • Genre : Comedy
  • Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
  • Run time : 115 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG-13
  • MPAA explanation : crude humor, sexual references and gestures, and for brief nudity
  • Last updated : October 1, 2025
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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

How to Be a Latin Lover

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