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The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

★ 7.3R117 minDirector: Tommy Lee Jones

2005 film

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (also known as Three Burials) is a 2005 neo-Western film directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones (in his directorial debut) and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It also stars Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones and Melissa Leo.

The film was inspired by the real-life killing in Texas of a teenager, Esequiel Hernandez Jr, by United States Marines during a military operation near the United States–Mexico border as well as the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, which contains the same plot premise and challenges encountered in the film.

The film has many flashbacks with the same event shown from different perspectives.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada about?
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) — A man is shot and quickly buried in the high desert of west Texas. The body is found and reburied in Van Horn's town cemetery. Pete Perkins, a local ranch foreman, kidnaps a Border Patrolman and forces him to disinter the body. With his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule,
Is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.