La Bamba

Name: La Bamba
Genre: Drama, Music
Released: 1987-07-24
Duration: 1 h 48 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Danielle von Zerneck, Elizabeth Peña, Rosanna DeSoto, Esai Morales

1987·Movie·PG-13·108 min·★ 7.3(793)

DramaMusicMore English titles

“Born into poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American dream.”

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.

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Where to watch La Bamba in United States

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Click a service to open La Bamba there. Availability last verified on June 23, 2026.

Where is La Bamba streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Crave Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Sooner
Spain	Movistar Plus+, Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Brazil	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Japan	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store

About La Bamba

La Bamba is a 1987 English-language drama and music film directed by Luis Valdez. The cast is led by Lou Diamond Phillips, Danielle von Zerneck, Elizabeth Peña. It has a runtime of 1h 48m. Viewers rate it 7.3/10 across 800 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.

La Bamba was produced by New Visions Pictures and Columbia Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on July 24, 1987, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $7 million, it went on to gross $54 million worldwide.

Director: Luis Valdez
Writers: Luis Valdez
Release date: July 24, 1987
Original language: English
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $7 million
Box office: $54 million
Production: New Visions Pictures, Columbia Pictures

#rock 'n' roll#biography#death#dying young#nostalgic#mexican american#marital rape#1950s#romantic

La Bamba cast & crew

La Bamba was directed by Luis Valdez and written by Luis Valdez.

The cast features Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens, Danielle von Zerneck as Donna Ludwig, Elizabeth Peña as Rosie Morales, Rosanna DeSoto as Connie Valenzuela, Esai Morales as Bob Morales, and Joe Pantoliano as Bob Keane.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Miles Goodman, cinematography is by Adam Greenberg, and it was produced by Bill Borden and Taylor Hackford.

Is La Bamba worth watching?

La Bamba holds an audience score of 7.3/10 from 793 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 1h 48m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama and music, La Bamba is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch La Bamba

In United States, you can stream La Bamba on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.