‘The Long Game’ Dethrones ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ as No. 1 on Netflix: Why it Matters for Latinos and for Hollywood (Guest Column)

Jeff Valdez There’s been a lot of media commentary recently about an independent film called “The Long Game” that unseated “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” from its No. 1 slot on Netflix in the U.S. “The Long Game,” a period feel-good drama starring Jay Hernandez, Cheech Marin and Dennis Quaid, has also grabbed attention by ranking as Nextflix’s sixth most popular film on a global basis.

In my view, none of the various headlines spurred by “The Long Game” really understood the data aspect that drove what happened with the movie. They didn’t give credit where credit is properly due. The headline I would write would be “Small-Budget, PG, Period, Indie Film with U.S.

Latinos Portrayed as Heroes Dethrones $150 Million Hollywood Franchise.” Yes, it’s a bit long but hopefully you get my point. The real significance that has been missed in this David vs Goliath story is that “The Long Game” has every element that Hollywood would normally run away from: a PG rating, a small budget, and a mostly Latino cast … playing golf! Not crossing a border, not gang banging, nope — none of what we usually see Latinos doing on the big screen. Directed by Julio Quintana, “The Long Game” is a movie about Latinos playing golf.