Old Gringo (1989): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1989, Old Gringo is an action, drama and romance film directed by Luis Puenzo, running about 120 minutes. “A woman inspired by a man of dreams swept into the arms of a general, and drawn into a worlds of danger.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. When school teacher Harriet Winslow goes to Mexico to teach, she is kidnapped by Gen. Tomas Arroyo and his revolutionaries. An aging American, Ambrose "Old Gringo" Bierce also in Mexico, befriends Gen. Arroyo and meets Harriet. Bierce is a famous writer, who knowing that he is dying, wishes to keep his identity secret so he can determine his own fate. Though he likes Arroyo, Bierce tries to provoke the General's anger whenever possible in an attempt to get himself killed, thus avoiding suffering through his illness. Winslow is intrigued by both Bierce and Arroyo, and the men are in turn attracted to her. She becomes romantically involved with Arroyo. When Winslow learns of Bierce's true identity (a writer whose work she has loved and respected for years), she is singlemindedly determined to fulfill his dying wish. Written by E.W. DesMarais

Who’s in it. Old Gringo stars Jane Fonda as Harriet Winslow, Gregory Peck as Ambrose Bierce, Jimmy Smits as Gen. Tomas Arroyo and Patricio Contreras as Col. Frutos Garcia, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.8/10, Old Gringo has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Old Gringo page.

If you liked it. Fans of Old Gringo tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.