Cry Macho (film)

Cry Macho is a 2021 American neo-Western drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood and written by Nick Schenk and N. Richard Nash, based on Nash's 1975 novel. Set in 1979, it stars Eastwood as a former rodeo star hired to reunite a young boy (Eduardo Minett) in Mexico with his father (Dwight Yoakam) in the United States. There were many attempts to adapt Nash's novel into a film over the years. Arnold Schwarzenegger came on board to star in 2011 but canceled after a scandal. In 2020, Eastwood's adaptation was announced; he produced the film with Albert S. Ruddy, Tim Moore, and Jessica Meier.

Cry Macho was filmed from November to December 2020 in the state of New Mexico; Ben Davis was the cinematographer, Mark Mancina was the composer, and Joel and David Cox were the editors. It was theatrically released in the United States on September 17, 2021 by Warner Bros. Pictures with a simultaneous 31-day release on the HBO Max streaming service. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing $16 million against a $33 million budget. It received mixed reviews, with its visuals and score receiving praise while the screenplay was targeted for criticism; Eastwood's performance drew polarized responses.