Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu–the three Mexican filmmakers affectionately dubbed the Three Amigos in the movie industry–have five Academy Awards for Best Director between them. But they acknowledge that a good amount of their success comes in how “brutal” they get when it comes to critiquing each other’s films.
The Three Amigos sat down with Deadline to discuss this. As Cuarón put it, “When there are disagreements—when I want to do something specific, and one of them puts a red flag on it—I immediately know that it’s something I have to be cautious about…I mean, the communication between us is brutally honest. It is brutal. I have tried to have that kind of conversation with other peers, and they don’t like it.” Del Toro added, “The way we talk to each other, when Alfonso says brutal, he means brutal. You might show them a cut and they’ll tear it apart…Change it or don’t change it, but this is what you must accept.”
Iñárritu added to how the Three Amigos have an almost unmatched trust. “The nonverbal rule between us is that, more than just being brutal for the sake of it, whenever we have something to say about each other’s work, it has to be something that is both truthful and useful, not destructive. That rule is really important, because I’ll never lie to them, and I know they won’t lie to me.”
While Alejandro González Iñárritu was the first of the Three Amigos to get a Best Director nomination (for 2006’s Babel), it was Alfonso Cuarón who won the first (for 2013’s Gravity). That win set off a streak at the ceremony, with Iñárritu nabbing two consecutive Oscars for 2014’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and 2015’s The Revenant, a feat not accomplished since the Golden Age of Hollywood. After a one-year break so Damien Chazelle could set a different record (young director to win), Guillermo del Toro took home the award for 2017’s The Shape of Water. Cuarón won his second the following year for Roma.
While Cuarón hasn’t directed a feature since Roma, both Iñárritu and del Toro had films out this year. While Iñárritu’s Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths has been the worst-received of his career, it has earned acclaim for its cinematography and production design. Meanwhile, del Toro’s Pinocchio just won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, which it could easily turn into an Oscar victory.
Which of the Three Amigos’ films do you prefer? How would you rank their work? Let us know your take on the directors below!