Guillermo Arriaga Jordán (Spanish pronunciation:[ɡiˈʎeɾmo aˈrjaɣa]; born 13 March 1958) is a Mexican novelist, screenwriter, director and producer. Self-defined as "a hunter who works as a writer," he is best known for his Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay nominations for Babel and his screenplay for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which received the 2005 Cannes Best Screenplay Award. Description above from the Wikipedia article Guillermo Arriaga, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 13, 1958 (68)
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Writer, producer and director, also actor
- 9 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
What are Guillermo Arriaga's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 10
Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 6
Grounded 4 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 4
A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1
A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 5
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 7
Resolved 2 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 4
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet6
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Guillermo Arriaga's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Guillermo Arriaga's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
23 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
A Wolf Among the Swans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Upon Open Sky(2023)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
No One Left Behind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Zero Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
B-167-980-098 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Guiltless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
On the Milky Road(2016)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
From Afar(2015)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
In Self Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Words with Gods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Rio, I Love You(2014)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all filmsBroken Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
The Burning Plain(2008)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
The Night Buffalo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Babel(2006)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Elephants Never Forget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
21 Grams(2003)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Powder Keg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
The Hire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Rogelio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Amores Perros(2000)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
A Sweet Scent of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Career shape
A full career of 23 titles from 1999 to 2025.
Film career
- 2005Screen debut· The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
- 2005Cannes award win· The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
2 major awards from 11 major nominations, 2004–2013.
- Sundance award, nominated
- Venice award, nominated
- Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay - Original
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Writer
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
- Cannes award, won
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay - Original
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Independent Spirit Award, won
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Guillermo Arriaga's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the dialogue 54/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Guillermo Arriaga's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Guillermo Arriaga work with?
People who share at least 2 of Guillermo Arriaga's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alejandro G. Iñárritu shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Alejandro G. IñárrituShared titles: Babel (2006), 21 Grams (2003), Amores Perros (2000)See all 3 shared titles with Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Actors
- Gael García BernalShared titles: Babel (2006), Amores Perros (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Gael García Bernal
- Melissa LeoShared titles: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), 21 Grams (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Melissa Leo
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Gustavo SantaolallaShared titles: Babel (2006), 21 Grams (2003), Amores Perros (2000)See all 3 shared titles with Gustavo Santaolalla
- Rodrigo PrietoShared titles: Babel (2006), 21 Grams (2003), Amores Perros (2000)See all 3 shared titles with Rodrigo Prieto
- Stephen MirrioneShared titles: Babel (2006), 21 Grams (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen Mirrione
Producers
- Tita LombardoShared titles: Babel (2006), Amores Perros (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Tita Lombardo