A star-studded action comedy that became one of the worst box office performers ever

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Directed by Nash Edgerton and featuring a high-profile cast including Charlize Theron and David Oyelowo, Gringo arrived in 2018 with significant expectations. Yet, the film struggled to find an audience, suffering from a disastrous theatrical run and critical reception that labeled the project a messy, poorly conceived misfire.

The plot of Gringo centers on Harold Soyinka, a mild-mannered employee at Promethium Pharmaceuticals. While on a business trip to Mexico, Harold discovers his company is cutting off a local cartel from its supply of medical marijuana pills. Simultaneously, he learns his job is at risk due to a pending merger and that his wife is unfaithful. In a desperate attempt to secure his future, Harold orchestrates a fake kidnapping to extort his bosses, Richard Rusk and Elaine Markinson, for five million dollars.

What follows is a chaotic chain of events involving a hired mercenary, drug mules, and the cartel leader Villegas. As Harold navigates these dangers, he eventually aligns with an undercover DEA agent, leading to a violent confrontation at the Promethium plant. By the film's conclusion, the corporate conspirators are brought to justice, and Harold successfully fakes his own death to start a new life in Mexico, leaving his former identity behind.

Despite its talented ensemble, the film faced severe commercial headwinds. Released in March 2018, it debuted to a meager 2.6 million dollars, landing as the 27th worst wide opening in history. Its performance deteriorated rapidly; by the second weekend, it suffered a 76 percent drop, and by the third, it was pulled from over 94 percent of its theaters. Critics were largely unimpressed, citing a convoluted narrative and derivative tone, while audiences awarded it a C+ grade on CinemaScore.

The production history of the film, originally titled American Express, spanned several years, with casting announcements beginning as early as May 2014. Principal photography commenced in March 2016, and STX Entertainment secured distribution rights shortly thereafter. Ultimately, the film grossed 11 million dollars worldwide, a figure that failed to justify the scale of its production or the caliber of its cast, cementing its reputation as a significant commercial disappointment.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Why a 2012 action film bypassed traditional cinemas for a digital-first release
• Why a 2004 box-office bomb required two million feet of film to create
• A star-studded adaptation of Isabel Allende’s masterpiece that failed to capture American critics
• A vengeful rancher hunts four men for a crime they did not commit.
• Two unlikely outlaws take on a ruthless land baron in this 1880s Western romp
• A hitman returns home for his high school reunion in this cult black comedy
• How a 90-minute war thriller became a digital blockbuster during a global pandemic
• Why did critics despise this Adam Sandler comedy while audiences still turned up in droves?
• The dark evolution of a classic fairy tale from opera to horror film
• Can Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro recapture their boxing glory in Grudge Match?
• A lonely widow's lost handbag leads to a deadly game of psychological obsession
• The 1995 sequel Grumpier Old Men was a box office success despite poor reviews

More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics