Radical, the latest film from Eugenio Derbez, is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning film that tells the true story of Sergio Juarez Correa, a teacher in a Mexican border town who tries a radical new method to unleash the curiosity and potential of his students.

Eugenio Derbez as Sergio Juarez Correa in 'Radical'
Eugenio Derbez as Sergio Juarez Correa


Radical was released in theaters in Mexico on October 19, 2023, and became the number-one box office hit for the weekend and the week. It will open in over 400 theaters in the United States and Puerto Rico on November 3, 2023. The film is based on a Wired Magazine article that inspired the filmmakers to bring Sergio Juarez Correa’s story to life.

The film has won numerous awards at film festivals, including the Festival Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival, the Audience Prize for Fiction Feature at the 11th Cine Latino Film Festival, and the Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award at the Heartland International Film Festival. Derbez himself has also been honored for his work on Radical, receiving the Icon Award from the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Social Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and the Legends and Groundbreakers Award from Variety.

Interview with Eugenio Derbez

Eugenio Derbez is the star and producer of the film Radical. He is considered one of the most successful Latin actors at the box office. Derbez has starred in many hit films, including the Oscar-winning film CODA and Instructions Not Included. The latter is the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever in the U.S. and the world. He has also starred in two films that have won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance: CODA and Sangre de Mi Sangre (his first collaboration with Radical director Christopher Zalla).

Eugenio Derbez on making the change from comedy to dramatic roles

Fans of Derbez are used to seeing emotional moments, but his role in Radical is emotional on a different level and a much more serious role. We asked Derbez what it’s been like to transition from the lighthearted to the more serious.

“It was really hard. I mean, you know, I’ve been a comedian my entire life and lately I did a couple of works that are more dramatic, like Coda, for example. But this is my first starring dramatic, dramatic role. And I feel that it was hard for me,” Debrez told THS.

Danilo Guardiola as Nico and Jennifer Trejo as Paloma in 'Radical'
Danilo Guardiola as Nico and Jennifer Trejo as Paloma

“I was telling my family that I was, like, depressed for the entire shooting. Two months of being surrounded by all this, because what you see in the movie is real. All the trash, all the dumpsters, the canal. It was a very hard environment. We needed to wear goggles and masks all the time. We just took them off for the shooting. But a lot of kids were sick constantly with infections, stomach, and in the eyes also. So it was very, very hard for everyone. And I was always thinking, well, this is me just here for two months. What about the kids that they leave here for their entire life? So it was really a little depressing. And it was hard for me going so deep into the character,” said Derbez.

He went on to say, “So I enjoyed it in a certain way, but it’s not my favorite place to go, you know, I prefer the comedy that’s lighter. But at the same time, I loved being able to finally do something that different in my career.”

Radical is set to open in theaters in the United States and Puerto Rico on November 3, 2023.