Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
"In Havana, music isn't a pastime, it's a way of life."
ThumbScore
👍 81%audience score Estimated from TMDB user ratings and critic scores, calibrated to Google's former audience score. Google stopped publishing it in 2026.
Critics Score
🎬 86%
(RT: 92%, MC: 81) RT = Rotten Tomatoes (critic reviews). MC = Metacritic (weighted critic average). Critics Score is the average of both.
Seen it? Rate it in one tap.
FavoriteLoved itLiked itIt was OKNot for me
Rate 5 films and ThumbScore predicts your score for every other one. Not seen it? Get your predicted score →
Where to Watch
Streaming
Subtitles on OpenSubtitles.com: English · Español · Español (Latinoamérica) · Español (España)
Most Spanish subtitles are not marked by region.
Full of ads, or out of sync? Fix it free, in your browser
Cast
Compay Segundo as Self
Eliades Ochoa as Self
Ry Cooder as Self
Joachim Cooder as Self
Ibrahim Ferrer as Self
Omara Portuondo as Self
Rubén González as Self
Orlando 'Cachaíto' López as Self
Is Buena Vista Social Club good?
Most people think so. 81% audience score, estimated from 388 TMDB ratings. Critics agree, scoring it 86%.
Where it ranks on ThumbScore
Overview
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories. Wikipedia ↗
