Global Expansion: 5 Brazilian Films To Watch After 'The Secret Agent'!!

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)