Apocalypto (2006)
Apocalypto is a 2006 action movie directed by Mel Gibson, with a running time of 2h 18m. It stars Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Max Trujillo and Gerardo Taracena.
The Yucatan, around 1511, before the old world has fully fallen. Jaguar Paw hunts and lives quietly with his family until raiders storm his village and march the survivors toward a Maya city and its sacrificial altars. Mel Gibson shoots the entire film in Yucatec Maya with a cast of Indigenous and Mexican actors, chasing a raw, present-tense urgency. What begins as capture becomes a headlong flight through the jungle, as one man races back toward the people he managed to hide. The stakes stay simple and physical, and the filmmaking rarely lets up.
Quick answers
What is Apocalypto about?
The Yucatan, around 1511, before the old world has fully fallen. Jaguar Paw hunts and lives quietly with his family until raiders storm his village and march the survivors toward a Maya city and its sacrificial altars. Mel Gibson shoots the entire film in Yucatec Maya with a cast of Indigenous and Mexican actors, chasing a raw, present-tense urgency. What begins as capture becomes a headlong flight through the jungle, as one man races back toward the people he managed to hide. The stakes stay simple and physical, and the filmmaking rarely lets up.
When was Apocalypto released?
Apocalypto was released on 7 December 2006.
How long is Apocalypto?
Apocalypto runs 2h 18m.
Who made Apocalypto?
Apocalypto was directed by Mel Gibson.
Where can I watch Apocalypto?
Apocalypto is available on Hoopla, Hulu, Peacock, Peacock Premium, Prime Video and Kanopy.
Where to watch Apocalypto
Stream: Hoopla, Hulu, Peacock, Peacock Premium, Prime Video
Watch free: Kanopy, Plex, Pluto TV, The CW, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Cast
- Rudy Youngblood as Jaguar Paw
- Raoul Max Trujillo as Zero Wolf
- Gerardo Taracena as Middle Eye
- Iazua Larios as Sky Flower
- Antonio Monroy as Chilam
- María Isabel Díaz Lago as Mother in Law
- Dalia Hernández as Seven
- Jonathan Brewer as Blunted
- Morris Birdyellowhead as Flint Sky
- Carlos Emilio Báez as Turtles Run
- Amilcar Ramírez as Curl Nose
- Israel Contreras as Smoke Frog
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Apocalypto in our writing
- Companion guide: Jungle & Amazon
- Companion guide: Lost Civilizations
A few thoughts on Apocalypto
Naughty Dog's The Last of Us runs on the same engine of survival and a desperate journey across hostile country to protect the people who matter, all raw dread and forward momentum. For the world behind the story, Charles C. Mann's 1491 rebuilds the rich pre-Columbian civilizations that Hollywood rarely bothers to show and that the film glimpses only in passing.
Chased across hostile terrain with nowhere safe to stop
Apocalypto turns Jaguar Paw's escape into one long chase, sprinting through jungle, river, and raider camp with captors always one step behind. These stories share that same unrelenting momentum: a wanted man crossing an unforgiving frontier, a soldier slipping past enemy lines, a fugitive surviving hour to hour with no map and no backup.
Civilization collapses and people turn feral fast
Mel Gibson strips Apocalypto down to instinct: a raiding party, a captive city, and a jungle that doesn't care who survives it. These other stories watch the same collapse happen: stranded boys losing their rules, a walled city hunted by something bigger than itself, a plague-ruined world where kindness is a liability, rival gangs carving up a lawless frontier city.