Bacurau

In the near future, a young woman named Teresa returns to her remote hometown of Bacurau in the Brazilian sertão (outback) for the funeral of her grandmother, Carmelita, the village matriarch. The town is already suffering from systemic neglect and a water embargo enforced by a corrupt local politician, Tony Jr., but a deeper, more surreal threat soon begins to manifest.

Slowly, bizarre occurrences start isolating the town from the rest of the world. Bacurau suddenly disappears from all digital maps, cell service drops dead, and a mysterious flying saucer-like drone is spotted tailing residents. When bullet-riddled water trucks and murdered locals are discovered, the town realizes they are actively being hunted by an unknown enemy.

It is revealed that a group of heavily armed, wealthy foreign tourists, led by the cold-blooded German Michael, have paid to use Bacurau as a private hunting ground for sport. Unbeknownst to the arrogant invaders, the diverse and tightly-knit community of Bacurau—including a local doctor, an ex-hitman, and a fiercely defended rebel—refuses to be victims, banding together to mount a brutal and ingenious defense of their home.

Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles crafted Bacurau as a blistering critique of neocolonialism, imperialism, and the political neglect of Brazil’s rural populations.

The film acts as an allegory for how the Global North historically and currently exploits the Global South, viewing its people as disposable resources or mere targets for violent sport. However, the directors also deliver a powerful message of resistance and community solidarity. They assert that marginalized communities possess a rich, unbreakable history and collective strength.

By blending genre tropes, the film suggests that survival against systemic and imperial violence requires radical unity, a deep connection to one's roots, and the willingness to fight back fiercely against oppressors.

The Alien Invasion Allegory: Some view the film strictly through the lens of science fiction, where the foreign hunters represent an 'alien' invasion from the Global North. Their absolute lack of empathy, bizarre score-keeping via earpieces, and use of the UFO drone code them as extraterrestrials attacking an isolated human outpost.

The Purgatory/Supernatural Reading: Given the magical realist elements—such as the ghostly apparitions of the matriarch Carmelita, the mysterious psychotropic pills the town takes, and the almost mythic invincibility of the villagers at the end—some interpret the town of Bacurau as a supernatural space or a quilombo of the afterlife that traps and punishes wicked outsiders.

The Critique of Internalized Racism: The characters of the southern Brazilian bikers, who aid the foreigners but are ultimately rejected and murdered by them for not being 'white enough,' serve as a critique of internalized racism and classism within Brazil. It shows how the privileged classes of the Global South align themselves with the Global North, only to be deemed equally disposable.

Released during the early years of Jair Bolsonaro's far-right presidency in Brazil, Bacurau became an instant cultural phenomenon and a symbol of artistic resistance. It resonated deeply with a politically divided nation, acting as a cathartic revenge fantasy against government neglect, systemic racism, and the erosion of indigenous and marginalized rights.

Winning the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, it proved that Brazilian cinema could successfully blend high-minded political critique with pulp genre elements like horror and the Western. Critics globally praised it for reinventing the 'Weird Western' and the 'Post-Western,' using these frameworks to explore decolonialism and necropolitics.

The film generated numerous memes in Brazil, cementing its place in popular culture as a rallying cry against imperialism and fascism. Its portrayal of a resilient community taking up arms against wealthy oppressors struck a powerful chord worldwide, making it one of the most defining international films of 2019.

Bacurau received overwhelming acclaim from both domestic and international audiences, though it also sparked significant polarization. Viewers heavily praised the film's audacious blending of genres, its tense pacing, and its unapologetic, anti-imperialist political messaging.

The cathartic, violent climax was often cited as a deeply satisfying cinematic payoff. Audiences highlighted the stellar performances, particularly from Sônia Braga, Silvero Pereira, and Udo Kier. However, the film faced criticism from some conservative viewers and critics who felt its political allegory was too blunt, Manichean, or heavy-handed, particularly in its portrayal of the foreign antagonists as purely evil caricatures.

Additionally, some viewers found the extreme violence and gore in the final act to be jarring. Despite these critiques, the overall verdict is that Bacurau is a modern masterpiece of resistance cinema and a thrilling, unpredictable ride.