Highway Patrolman

Alex Cox’s Mexican film follows the journey of a highway patrolman whose idealism eventually gives way to inevitable corruption.

Highway Patrolman charts the harrowing transition from idealism to grim realism in an intense and brilliantly played character study that offers a fascinating and gritty insight into corruption and embittered disillusionment.

Graduating as a top police student from the National Highway Patrol Police Academy, Pedro Rojas (veteran Mexican actor Roberto Sosa) and his college friend Anibal (Bruno Bichir) are sent to patrol a desolate highway. After strictly enforcing the law during their arduous 24-hour shifts, their dedication soon dwindles. Pedro's wife complains about his lowly wage and pressurises him into accepting bribes and so a steady descent begins. Alex Cox’s Spanish-language film remains a high-point in an undervalued career; and it’s ahead of its time too, anticipating the wave of Mexican crime and corruption films that would follow in the 21st century.