Despite corralling Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Thandie Newton and David Oyelowo into its incredible cast, Gringo is, at best, an inept attempt at a dark comedy.

Life may be full of coincidences, but screenplays cannot be.

A movie created by someone who has ever actually been to Mexico and thought to pay attention to more than kidnapping scares and cartel nightmares.

Double-crosses and twists saturate the material, leaving Gringo with a modest degree of unpredictability that keeps the viewer guessing, albeit with few moments of levity or any genuine investment in the characters.