Apocalypto (2006)

The great Maya city in Apocalypto shows up almost entirely as a brutal spectacle, which is a lopsided picture of a civilization that studied the stars and wrote its own books. The movie isn’t curious about that side, and it’s a real blind spot. What it cares about is running. The opening stretch in Jaguar Paw’s village is warm and funny, so when the raid comes you feel what’s lost. The middle is brutal, and Mel Gibson doesn’t look away. Then Jaguar Paw breaks free, and the second half becomes one of the most relentless chases ever filmed, through jungle, mud, a waterfall and past one very unhappy jaguar. Rudy Youngblood carries it with almost no words, only lungs, legs and stubbornness. The whole film is in Yucatec Maya with subtitles, and you stop noticing within minutes. It made $120.7 million worldwide on a reported $40M budget. A 7.3 because the chase is a masterclass and the worldview is narrow. $687.91 says you take the long way home tomorrow just to feel like you’re outrunning something.

What works: The chase is pure, relentless filmmaking, and Rudy Youngblood’s physical performance makes every step feel desperate.

What doesn’t: It reduces a sophisticated civilization to a brutal backdrop, leaving out the science, art and everyday life that made the Maya remarkable.

Who it’s for: Viewers who can handle brutal intensity and want one of the great chase films, subtitles and all.