Written by Rafaela Horle. Published: January 14 2026
(Photo: Sony
Pictures)
The
Secret Agent from writer-director Kleber Mendoça
Filho has been making waves during award seasons. Having
just made a huge splash at the Golden Globes — winning Best
Non-English Language Film and Best Actor in Drama Film for star Wagner Moura — this likely contender for Best
International Film at the Oscars has brought Brazilian cinema into
the spotlight.
It’s the
perfect moment to dive deeper into Brazil’s rich and diverse film
tradition. From political modernism and documentary experimentation
to mythic romance and genre-bending thrillers, here are 5
phenomenal Brazilian films to watch next.
1. Black God, White Devil (1964, dir. Glauber
Rocha)
A cornerstone
of Brazil’s Cinema Novo movement, Black God, White Devil follows a poor cowboy who, after killing his boss, is drawn between
a messianic religious leader and a violent bandit group in Brazil’s
sertao region.
Why You
Should Watch It: The film fuses folklore, religion, and politics to
expose the brutality of class inequality and colonial legacies and
is foundational to Brazilian cinema. (Available on
VOD/Digital)
2. I’m Still Here (2024, dir. Walter
Salles)
Based on the
real-life story of Eunice Paiva and set during the
Brazilian dictatorship, this heartbreaking film is about a woman
who must chart a new course for herself and her family after her
husband is imprisoned by the Brazilian military.
Why You
Should Watch It: It won the Oscar for Best International Film in
2024 and earned its lead actress, Fernanda Torres,
a Best Actress nomination. (Stream on Netflix)
3. Bacurau (2019, dir. Kleber Mendoça Filho and Juliano
Dornelles)
Set in a
near-future rural village that mysteriously disappears from the
maps, Bacurau begins as a social realist drama before
erupting into a genre-defying blend of western, sci-fi, and
political thriller.
Why You
Should Watch It: This strange and thrilling film is a bold
allegory about resistance, globalization, and whose lives are
deemed disposable. (Stream on Prime Video)
4. Playing (2007, dir. Eduardo Coutinho)
In this
documentary, women tell their personal stories, which are later
reenacted by professional actresses.
Why You
Should Watch It: The film constantly destabilizes the boundary
between truth and performance, asking what truth and authenticity
really mean. (Stream on MUBI)
5. Black Orpheus (1959, dir. Marcel Camus)
A reimagining
of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set during Carnival in
Rio de Janeiro.
Why You
Should Watch It: While somewhat controversial for having a French
director, the film introduces Brazilian music and imagery to global
audiences and shaping how Brazil has been imagined in world cinema. (Stream on HBO Max)
