Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

lavatch In the bonus segment of the DVD of "Cartel Land," director Matthew Heineman describes the film as a depiction of lawlessness in the land. Specifically, the land is both Mexico, the United States, and the all-important border.In its raw dramatic footage, "Cartel Land" films real vigilantes on both sides of the border combating the lawlessness that is the subject of the film. The vicious Mexican drug cartel known as the Knights Templars are challenged by vigilantes led by the charismatic Dr José Mireles in the Mexican state of Michoacán. A parallel story north of the border follows a group of American vigilantes seeking to prevent the drug dealers from entering into the United States.The film is successful in demonstrating the ambiguous nature of criminals, vigilantes, police, army, and government--all of which are capable of crossing over into the dark side. This is most apparent in the well-intentioned vigilantes in Mexico, who eventually join forces with the national militia.The main focus of the film is on Dr. Mireles, who refuses to compromise to the federal government. A misstep on the part of the filmmakers was to focus too much on the personal life of the doctor, which apparently included a pattern of womanizing. The film would have been more effective if it stayed focused on the story of the cartels and the resisters through the riveting film footage captured in this important documentary.At a time when there is contentious conversation about "building a wall" on America's southern border, this film uncovers a deeper layer of the problem at the heart of the reality of intensive drug trafficking that may or may not be stopped by building a wall.

JoeBagz No spoilers. The film 'Cartel Land' is a documentary whose title is I think a little misleading. The subject matter focuses exclusively on 2 civilian militias, the Arizona Border Recon in the US and the Autodefensas in Mexico. The film is essentially a running dialog with Tim Foley and Dr. Jose Mireles the individuals who formed the militias in their respective countries recorded over a period of a year or two. The filmmaker did not question or drive the conversation in any particular direction while on camera. The intent seemingly was to provide a platform for the individuals to share their stories and pitch their case in support of organized civilian militias to oppose the activities and threat of Mexican drug cartels in the face of government complacency. The filmmaker bounces back and forth between the US and Mexico with far more time spent in the latter. It is interesting that the purpose and tactics of the militias are very different. The mission of the Arizona Border Recon is to stop anyone crossing illegally into the US, regardless of their purpose or nationality. Where as the Autodefensas were, at least initially, organized to directly engage the Knights Templar drug cartel's campaign of mass murder and random terror.There are no interviews with government officials from either country. All footage is of the militias either on the US border searching for persons crossing into Arizona or all over southern Mexico in the streets battling the cartels. There are no interviews with members of any cartels excluding 5 minutes at the beginning and end of the film with a group of men cooking meth at night somewhere out in the desert. There are no statistics provided on anything, the filmmaker not trying to prove or dispute anything.My impressions based on the film. Civilian militia is not an effective tool to combat drug cartel activities on either side of the border.If you embarrass the Mexican government too often or defy it publicly you'll end up in prison or dead.Building a wall across the US/Mexico border is totally and utterly absurd.End the war on drugs, put the cartels out of the drug business. In the US put the allocated funds into substance abuse and treatment programs instead of sustaining the prison industrial complex and the mass incarceration of minorities.A film that I would highly recommend with subject matter regarding Mexican drug cartels and US efforts to combat them is an excellent fictional thriller 'Sicario'.

Jackson Booth-Millard The definition of "cartel" is: an international syndicate, combine, or trust formed especially to regulate prices and output in some field of business; I had heard the word in crime films and stuff, so it was going to be interesting to see how this Mexican / Spanish documentary film would look at them in real life. Basically this film looks at two two modern-day vigilante groups, the Arizona Border Recon, led by American veteran Tim "Nailer" Foley, and the Autodefensas, led by Michoacán-based physician Dr. "El Doctor" José Mireles. The film also looks at the two groups shared enemy, the murderous Mexican drug cartels, including the violent Knights Templar, who have wreaked havoc on the region for years. The film takes place in Michoacán, southwest Mexico, and Arizona, including Altar Valley, a desert corridor also known as Cocaine Alley, the three focused groups are both sides of the law and bring their own brand of justice to a society where institutions have failed. Director Matthew Heineman got up and close to the action, going to great lengths to capture the chilling and visceral actions of the two sides of this serious issue, including firefights, gunpoint interrogations and torture sessions, I agree with the critics that this film lacks objectivity and some kind of conclusion, but you cannot the deny power and it showing the blurry line between good and evil, an interesting enough documentary. It was nominated the Oscar and BAFTA for Best Documentary. Worth watching!

Michael_Elliott Cartel Land (2015) **** (out of 4)Excellent documentary from Matthew Heineman takes a look at the cartel issue in Mexico. We get to hear from some of the people who actually make the drugs to sell. We hear from some American's who patrol the border hoping to kill anyone trying to enter the country. The main focus here is Jose Mireles, also known as El Doctor. He is a man who grew tired of the cartels taking over towns and brutally killing people so he formed a group to strike back.CARTEL LAND is a highly entertaining documentary that really gives you a terrific look at some of the stuff that is going on in Mexico. There are several graphic photos shown as we see what the cartels are willing to do in order to push and scare people. The most fascinating aspect comes as the film winds down and we see that even good groups are usually bought off or have alternative motives, which of course just leads to more corruption.