Going Varsity in Mariachi is a bit like Friday Night Lights: an illustration of a cherished competitive tradition in the high schools of Texas. The new-to-Netflix documentary by filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn follows Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro, a ragtag team of young musicians vying for wins in state-level competitions.
The cast of earnest students, led by their ambitious and encouraging teacher, is just as interesting to watch when they’re not playing music. Their teenage anxieties and aims are eminently relatable and add plenty of charm to the documentary.
Going Varsity in Mariachi takes place in what is perhaps the most politicized part of the U.S., but it doesn’t feel that way in the documentary. The border is a background character. In that way, the documentary is a reminder of all the ways life goes on in spite of the expectations outsiders place on the region.
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