Killing Castro Tribeca Review: A Fun and Energetic Political Thriller

There’s this general apprehension I always have toward festival films like Killing Castro with huge star power attached to an otherwise unknown production. It’s a sad truth that in Hollywood, the only way for independent films to get off the ground is to artificially inflate their value by attaching a massive star.

Killing Castro Tribeca Review

Diego Boneta in Killing Castro, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9, 2026.

It’s easy for a total clunker to get produced solely through that Catch-22 of star power. That dynamic makes a film like Killing Castro an interesting one to watch. Its incorporation of Al Pacino is thoughtful and smart. He helps round out a massive ensemble in what turns out to be a fun and energetic historical thriller.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film explores how the CIA and FBI entangle themselves in the complex web of Fidel Castro’s 1960 visit to New York City. Alongside the political commentary involving figures like Malcolm X and the global pressure of the era, the narrative operates well within its confined location.

Like other great films in this specific subgenre of political thrillers set in a hotel, Killing Castro is a revolving door of energy. Director Eif Rivera does a fantastic job of keeping the tension high as the setting becomes a pressure cooker of surveillance and solidarity at Harlem’s Hotel Theresa.

The varied cast ranges from fresh, unknown faces to mid-40s B-listers, all equipped to portray a diverse group of people with a wide variety of allegiances. Because the diversity of perspectives is so strong, the film does, in some ways, struggle to find one clear, unified political position to push through the narrative.

However, this feels more like a result of trying to cover so many unique historical angles. It works in the movie’s favor, ensuring it never feels like the director is mercilessly imposing some clunky, heavy-handed political analysis onto the audience.

Coming in at a brisk 90 minutes, the film avoids so many of the typical pitfalls of other political thrillers by trimming all the fat. The picture lock on Killing Castro is exceptionally tight. By leaning into a sharp editing workflow, every cut feels purposeful. It utilizes fast-paced transitions to guide the audience through the hotel’s claustrophobic corridors without missing a beat of the unfolding chaos. This precision leaves zero room for the story to sag. It finds a sense of fun in an almost, but not quite, frenetically paced execution.

The performances match this pacing nicely, delivering enough sincerity to keep you intrigued, but also bringing a level of boisterousness that’s almost playful. It’s a fascinating tonal choice, especially when you consider it’s supposed to represent the inner workings of America’s most evil institutions and the crushing weight they exert on any opposing political powers.

The narrative is anchored by an excellent young performer in Xolo Maridueña. He portrays a lower-tier translator caught between duty and proximity, suddenly brought into the inner folds of this intense political operation. Maridueña carries the emotional weight of the story, serving as the relatable audience surrogate caught in the crossfire of shifting allegiances.

Is Killing Castro worth watching?

If a film like this is sold to the masses on the legendary name of Al Pacino, then Pacino deserves a massive amount of props for using his weight to elevate an interesting director and a talented cast alongside him. Killing Castro is an interesting watch, and while it doesn’t quite have the razor-sharpness required to execute its story without a hitch, it remains a mighty fine attempt.

Killing Castro premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 3 – 14, 2026.

Killing Castro Tribeca Review: A Fun and Energetic Political Thriller