The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has spent the last several years getting slowly grafted onto American Halloween. While the two share some aesthetic connections — particularly skulls and graveyards — they are very different celebrations. Dia de los Muertos, which falls on Nov. 1, has origins in the precolonial Americas, and is meant to honor life by welcoming the dead back to Earth for a party. Adherents visit burial places, set upofrendas(altars), serve meals and play music.

There are some incredible films that honor the message of Dia de los Muertos, available on streaming. Check these out.

‘Book of Life’ (2014)

Dia de los Muertos is known for being colorful and joyous, as well as mitigating grief. It’s hardly surprising that there have been some great animated films about it in the last decade. One is “Book of Life,” directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez. This meandering epic follows Manolo (Diego Luna), a young bullfighter who is desperately in love with Maria (Zoe Saldana). Unfortunately, the two end up as pawns in a wager between the gods of the dead and forgotten.

The film is gorgeous, beautifully illustrating the various planes of existence. It tastefully tackles the idea that death is a part of life, and can be a helpful tool in explaining the concept to a child.

Watch it:Streaming on Max.

‘Coco’ (2017)

The best-known animated film about Dia de los Muertos is Pixar’s “Coco.” In this take, a boy named Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) wants to become a musician despite his family’s hatred of music. Determined to pursue his dream, he breaks into a local tomb and steals a guitar to use in a talent show. Immediately he is cursed to wander the world of the dead.

With Dia de los Muertos nigh, he uses the thin veil between worlds to find his family and right a wrong against his ancestor. Like “Book of Life,” “Coco” is jaw-droppingly beautiful, and has an incredible soundtrack to boot. Once again, the importance of family, memory and love even after death are front and center.

Watch it:Streaming on Disney+.

‘Macario’ (1960)

对正宗的墨西哥电影Dia de losμtos, it doesn’t get better than the iconic “Macario.” Directed by Roberto Gavaldón, it was the first Mexican film to be nominated for an Academy Award. The fable follows a poor man named Macario (Ignacio López Tarso) who has grown bitter about his life in poverty. After seeing a procession of roast turkeys, he vows to starve himself until he can eat an entire one himself. His wife (Pina Pellicer) steals one to save his life, but Death (Enrique Lucero) visits Macario that evening. The two become friends, and Macario uses Death’s powers to become a local healer.

One of the most acclaimed Mexican films, “Macario” is a tense character study of honor and sacrifice. Tarso and Lucero form a strange but deep bond over the course of the movie, even as Macario struggles in an unfair world despite the blessings of his new comrade. It’s a somewhat bleak movie, but also deeply moving.

Watch it:Streaming on Amazon.

‘Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life’ (2020)

All the fictional portrayals are fun, but it never hurts to actually learn about a holiday from more objective sources. In this hourlong documentary, director Denise Richards(no, not that one)explores the different regions of Mexico and their different approaches to Dia de los Muertos. The movie is a wonderful way to learn the meanings behind many of the holiday's symbols and practices, as well as see amazing examples of contemporary art.

Watch it:Streaming on Amazon.

‘The Crow: City of Angels’ (1996)

The first sequel to the critically acclaimed gothic superhero film “The Crow,” “City of Angels” is usually regarded as inferior to its more famous predecessor. However, it’s definitely worth a second look. This time around, the Crow is Ash (Vincent Perez), a mechanic whose son is killed by Los Angeles gangs. Resurrected as an avenger, he wades into a citywide Dia de los Muertos celebration to hunt his son’s murderers.

Perez is an impeccable Crow, capturing much of the harlequin playfulness that was present in the original comic. His manic pathos makes every scene he’s in memorable, and his Crow has an almost Joker-like menace. It would be impossible to match the legendary Brandon Lee, who tragically died filming the first “Crow” film, but Perez comes very, very close. Plus, as a dead man who walks among the living, he is the most obvious hero for the Day of the Dead.

Watch it:Streaming on Apple TV+.

Jef Rouner is a freelance writer.