# Like Water for Chocolate (1992) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/like-water-for-chocolate-1992/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 83% |
| Editorial Rating | 91/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 92% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 86/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4.2/5 |
| IMDb | 7.1/10 |
| Director | Alfonso Arau |
| Genres | Romance, Drama |
| Runtime | 105 min |
| Festival premiere | Morelia 2010 (Mexican Classics) |
| Major awards | 2 wins, 0 nominations |

## Quick answer

Like Water for Chocolate (1992) earns a 83% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Arau's magical-realist romance became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in the United States for years. Metascore 86/100. Directed by Alfonso Arau.

## Celluloid verdict

Arau's magical-realist romance became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in the United States for years.

## Synopsis

A young woman forbidden to marry pours emotion into food that magically affects everyone who eats her cooking on a Mexican ranch.

## Cast

Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné

## Accolades

Premiered at Morelia 2010, where it won the Mexican Classics.
- Won Best Picture — Ariel Awards 1992
- Won Best Director — Ariel Awards 1992

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is Like Water for Chocolate worth watching?**
Like Water for Chocolate holds a 83% Celluloid Score. Arau's magical-realist romance became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in the United States for years.

**What is Like Water for Chocolate about?**
A young woman forbidden to marry pours emotion into food that magically affects everyone who eats her cooking on a Mexican ranch.

**Who directed Like Water for Chocolate?**
Like Water for Chocolate (1992) was directed by Alfonso Arau.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Like Water for Chocolate?**
83% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (91/100), Metascore (86/100), Letterboxd (4.2/5), and IMDb (7.1/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**What awards did Like Water for Chocolate win?**
Like Water for Chocolate won Best Picture (Ariel Awards 1992), Best Director (Ariel Awards 1992).

**Where can I watch Like Water for Chocolate?**
Streaming availability varies by region — see the Like Water for Chocolate page for current options.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

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