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Latinos are inheriting a difficult United States where the very definition of “American” is contested. Now more than ever, we need artists who can uplift us.
Bad Bunny is set to star as the lead in “Porto Rico,” a film marking the directorial debut for René Pérez Joglar, a fellow Puerto Rican rapper better known as Residente. The film, billed as "an epic Caribbean western and historical drama," is partly based on the life of José Maldonado Román, a revolutionary who fought Spanish colonialism in Puerto Rico in the 1890s.
Their collaboration on this film should come as no surprise. Both Bad Bunny and Residente take highly vocal stances on politics. This year, Bad Bunny protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement in his acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. His Super Bowl performance continued the theme, centering Puerto Rican identity and asserting a more inclusive definition of “America” that encompasses both continents.
Residente’s music tackles social and political themes in Latin America. In 2022, he released “This Is Not America” a song discussing the United States’ often hostile role in the region. It also expresses radical, anti-colonial sentiments:
Esto va pa'l capataz de la empresa
El machete no es solo pa' cortar caña,
También es pa' cortar cabeza'
(Translation: “This goes for the boss of the company / The machete isn't just for cutting cane / It's also for cutting heads”)
Together, Bad Bunny and Residente can be expected to continue a trend of cultural reaffirmation in film, using narrative conflict to reassert Puerto Rican identity and the island’s history of political resistance.
We’ve already seen the impact of these kinds of stories. Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” (2025) was a lesson in the creation and legacy of blues music, a foundational Black American art. The film received major critical acclaim and proved historically-grounded, culturally-rooted storytelling is well-received.
But there needs to be more films and more representation to truly make an impact. The 2025 edition of the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report examined 2024’s top films and found people of color remain underrepresented as actors, directors, and writers. Despite the success of “Sinners” and other films like it, the U.S. film industry still struggles with cultural representation.
With Bad Bunny as the leading man, a film like “Porto Rico” could bring the island’s stories and settings to mainstream cinema. Rather than presenting Latino history as a footnote, it would position Puerto Rican culture as central to American storytelling.
That shift feels especially timely as debates over Puerto Rico’s colonial status persist and Latino visibility in media remains uneven and politically charged. In that context, a major film centered on Puerto Rican history expands the range of whose stories are worth telling.
I’m glad the project is backed by all-star talent. Academy Award nominees Javier Bardem, Viggo Mortensen and Edward Norton will appear alongside Bad Bunny. Residente co-wrote the script with Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris, known for working on films including “The Revenant” (2015) and “Birdman" (2014). With that level of experience attached, the production carries significant industry weight.
Bad Bunny is already at the peak of his powers. He won two Grammy awards for Best Album and Best Música Urbana album with “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (I Should Have Taken More Pictures), headlined the Super Bowl and starred in two major films last year: Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” and Kyle Newacheck’s “Happy Gilmore 2.”
It may seem like overkill to add “lead actor” to his resume, but his reputation as a Puerto Rican cultural hero is what will make the casting work. His understanding of the island’s history and current struggles gives him a solid background that more experienced actors may lack.
The film’s central conflict will be rooted in struggles Bad Bunny already speaks about in his music. In songs like “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (What Happened to Hawaii) and “El Apagón” (The Outage), he addresses colonialism and neglect in Puerto Rico. He has already positioned himself as an advocate for the island’s struggles, so any character he plays would be seen in terms of those real-world conditions.
Although he has yet to prove himself in a complex role, Bad Bunny’s recent work on screen shows growing confidence in front of the camera, and his seasoned co-stars could support him.
Representation alone doesn’t solve political tensions, but it gives communities visibility. A film like “Porto Rico,” led by the island’s most popular artist, can harness history to foreground Puerto Rican experience.
At a time when Puerto Rico faces continued political uncertainty, cultural pride can be a form of resilience, affirming identity and visibility in the face of marginalization. In that sense, this could be Bad Bunny’s most important role yet.
Joaquin Baerga (he/him) is a junior studying journalism.
