Cinema is an art that connects us with cultures across the world and understands a country’s heart and soul. Online movie streaming platforms like Netflix bring movies and TV shows from different countries and in a variety of languages. Amongst the most popular movies on Netflix are Brazilian movies and TV shows with their unique persona.
Brazilian movies have gained global recognition ever since the Brazilian cinema revolution known as Cinema Novo. The movies and TV shows are now an artistic combination of political, social, and economic issues that prevail in the South American country that is famous for its carnivals, beaches, and football. Here is a list of Brazil’s most popular movies streamed on Netflix.
Popular Brazilian Movies on Netflix
- Cidade de Deus ( City of God): Depicting the drug-mafia and brutal violence that plagues the slums involving children, Cidade de Deus shows the rough side of Rio de Janeiro. The movie has won several international awards and continues to be one of the classics that tops the list of the most popular movies on Netflix.
- Aquarius: Sonia Braga – the famous American-Brazilian actress nominated for Golden Globe Award – plays the role of 65-year old Clara who is the last resident of Aquarius fighting aggressive construction companies who are determined to demolish the classic art building. Not ready to part from her home where she raised her children, Clara finds a renewed sense of vitality.
- O Menino e o Mundo (Boy and the World): With its brilliant animation and extraordinary storyline, this Brazilian movie has bagged several awards for best animation and screenplay. A classic movie of village-meets-city through a child’s perspective, Boy and the World is entertaining as well as emotional.
- Serra Pelada (Bald Mountain): This movie reflects the illusion and greed of people who visit the gold mines of Serra Pelada. Obsession for wealth and power results in violence amongst people who come to the world’s largest gold mines.
- Mais Forte Que O Mondo (Stronger Than The World): An International Emmy Award winner, this biopic is about the life and struggles of the Brazilian martial artist José Aldo. Aldo is the first Featherweight champion at the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Brazilian Drama Series on Netflix
- 3%: This is a futuristic thriller TV show about a young woman who is a new resident of an imaginary paradise island inhabited only by the elite while most of the population are impoverish and live in the slums of Brazil. Inhabitants of the slums compete each year to live in the paradise island through a series of tests, which only 3% survive.
- O Mecanismo (The Mechanism): A highly rated political TV show internationally, O Mechanismo is loosely based on the largest criminal investigation in Brazilian history uncovering massive corruption scandals. Amidst several popular movies on Netflix of the same genre, O Mecanismo has been a success.
- Pacto de Sangue (Blood Pact): Loosely based on the life of the famous Brazilian journalist, Wallace Souza, Pacto de Sangue is a crime drama series that depicts his unethical ways to increase the TRPs of his news channel.
- Borges: A light-hearted comedy TV series, Borges revolves around 4 partners of a bankrupt firm who are looking for ways to improve their financial situations. They start producing videos that go viral on the Internet giving them an opportunity to clear their debts.
- Samantha!: A Brazilian comedy series produced by Netflix, the show revolves around the life of Samantha – the famous former child artist who had her own TV show in the 1980s. The series focuses on her efforts to launch herself again in the 21st century.
