Top 40+ Brazilian movies
by dayvson | created - 28 Jul 2011 | updated - 17 Jun 2015 | PublicTop 40 Brazilian movies, in my opinion (unordered)
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1. Madame Satã (2002)
Unrated | 105 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Loose portrait of João Francisco dos Santos, also known as Madame Satã, a sometime chef, transvestite, lover, father, hero and convict from Rio de Janeiro.
Director: Karim Aïnouz | Stars: Lázaro Ramos, Marcelia Cartaxo, Flavio Bauraqui, Fellipe Marques
Votes: 3,149 | Gross: $0.20M
2. Black God, White Devil (1964)
Not Rated | 120 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
After killing his employer when he tries to cheat him out of his payment, a man becomes an outlaw and starts following a self-proclaimed saint.
Director: Glauber Rocha | Stars: Geraldo Del Rey, Yoná Magalhães, Othon Bastos, Maurício do Valle
Votes: 5,353
3. Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (2005)
99 min | Adventure, Drama
A road movie about a German man who went to the Northeast of Brazil in 1942 to sell Aspirin.
Director: Marcelo Gomes | Stars: João Miguel, Peter Ketnath, Madalena Accioly, Jeane Alves
Votes: 3,049
4. Central Station (1998)
R | 110 min | Drama
The emotive journey of a former schoolteacher who writes letters for illiterate people, and a young boy whose mother has just died, as they search for the father he never knew.
Director: Walter Salles | Stars: Fernanda Montenegro, Vinícius de Oliveira, Marília Pêra, Soia Lira
Votes: 42,291 | Gross: $5.60M
5. Baile Perfumado (1996)
93 min | Drama, Western
A Lebanese photographer living in Brazil in the '30s manages to take pictures of Lampião, a legendary Brazilian outlaw, kind of a tropical Robin Hood.
Directors: Paulo Caldas, Lírio Ferreira | Stars: Duda Mamberti, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Aramis Trindade, Chico Díaz
Votes: 504
6. O Cheiro do Ralo (2006)
Not Rated | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
A pawn shop proprietor buys used goods from desperate locals--as much to play perverse power games as for his own livelihood, but when the perfect rump and a backed-up toilet enter his life, he loses all control.
Director: Heitor Dhalia | Stars: Selton Mello, Paula Braun, Paulo Alves, Suzana Alves
Votes: 5,510
7. Carandiru (2003)
R | 145 min | Crime, Drama
Stories of crime, revenge, love, and friendship at the Carandiru Penitentiary, the largest prison in Latin America.
Director: Hector Babenco | Stars: Enrique Diaz, Wagner Moura, Caio Blat, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Votes: 21,908 | Gross: $0.21M
8. Amarelo Manga (2002)
TV-MA | 103 min | Drama
Short stories revolving around a bar and a hotel in Recife, unveil a mosaic of exotic characters living in the Brazilian underground.
Director: Cláudio Assis | Stars: Matheus Nachtergaele, Jonas Bloch, Leona Cavalli, Dira Paes
Votes: 2,441
9. Estômago (2007)
113 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In the great restaurant of life, there are those who eat and those who get eaten. Raimundo Nonato finds an alternative way, a life of his own: he cooks in order to survive and find a place ... See full summary »
Director: Marcos Jorge | Stars: João Miguel, Fabiula Nascimento, Babu Santana, Carlo Briani
Votes: 8,128
10. Durval Discos (2002)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Durval and his mother Carmita live at the back of "Durval Discos", a record store they own in São Paulo, specializing in vinyl records. They lead a boring and unattractive life, until the ... See full summary »
Director: Anna Muylaert | Stars: Ary França, Etty Fraser, Isabela Guasco, Marisa Orth
Votes: 1,264
11. A Dama do Lotação (1978)
R | 90 min | Drama
Carlos and Solange, childhood sweethearts, marry after a chaste courtship. On their wedding night, Solange refuses to make love to him. First he pleads, then in anger he rapes her. She says... See full summary »
Director: Neville de Almeida | Stars: Sonia Braga, Nuno Leal Maia, Jorge Dória, Paulo César Peréio
Votes: 823
12. Cronicamente Inviável (2000)
101 min | Crime, Drama
Dissection of Brazilian problems, using six people who meet in a restaurant in São Paulo as models to illustrate political and sociological theses.
Director: Sergio Bianchi | Stars: Umberto Magnani, Cecil Thiré, Dira Paes, Betty Gofman
Votes: 676
13. City of God (2002)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phellipe Haagensen
Votes: 800,527 | Gross: $7.56M
14. The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006)
PG | 110 min | Drama
A boy is left alone in a Jewish neighborhood in 1970, when the World Cup coincides with political crackdowns by the military dictatorship.
Director: Cao Hamburger | Stars: Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Daniela Piepszyk, Paulo Autran
Votes: 6,656 | Gross: $0.76M
15. A Vida Como Ela É... (1996)
Romance
Adaptations of 40 short stories by Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues, written between 1951 and 1961. The stories were considered scandalous at the time as Rodrigues used immoral ... See full summary »
Stars: Antonio Calloni, Guilherme Fontes, Leon Goes, Maitê Proença
Votes: 141
16. To the Left of the Father (2001)
Not Rated | 163 min | Drama
A young son who ran from his dominant family descends into decadence, then returns to the nest. Tyrannical fathers, incest, fierce family conflicts, and an intense visual style to match.
Director: Luiz Fernando Carvalho | Stars: Selton Mello, Raul Cortez, Juliana Carneiro da Cunha, Simone Spoladore
Votes: 2,043
17. Olga (2004)
141 min | Biography, Drama, History
Based upon the true story of Olga Benário, the German-born wife of Brazilian communist leader Luís Carlos Prestes. During the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas (1930-1945) she was arrested and... See full summary »
Director: Jayme Monjardim | Stars: Camila Morgado, Caco Ciocler, Luís Melo, Eliane Giardini
Votes: 3,644
18. Lisbela and the Prisoner (2003)
106 min | Comedy, Romance
This is the fun story of the mischievous, adventurous and conquering Leléu and the dreamy Lisbela, who loves watching American movies and dreams of movie heroes.
Director: Guel Arraes | Stars: André Mattos, Aramis Trindade, Bruno Garcia, Carlos Casagrande
Votes: 6,986
19. Bicho de Sete Cabeças (2000)
74 min | Drama
A trip to the mental institution hell. This odyssey is lived by Neto, a middle class teenager, who lives a normal life until his father sends him to a mental institution after finding drugs... See full summary »
Director: Laís Bodanzky | Stars: Rodrigo Santoro, Othon Bastos, Cássia Kis, Dani Nefussi
Votes: 6,363
20. Behind the Sun (2001)
PG-13 | 105 min | Drama
When ordered by his father to avenge the death of his older brother, a young man questions the tradition of violence between two rival families.
Director: Walter Salles | Stars: José Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro, Rita Assemany, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Votes: 7,400 | Gross: $0.06M
21. A Dog's Will (1999–2025)
38 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
The adventures of friends João Grilo, a poor man a liar, and Chicó, the most cowardly of men. Both struggle for daily bread in the Northeast of Brazil and crossing for several episodes ... See full summary »
Stars: Matheus Nachtergaele, Selton Mello, Virginia Cavendish, Enrique Diaz
Votes: 5,209
22. Como Nascem os Anjos (1996)
100 min | Drama
Two children flee together with a grown up from a slum in Rio because this older person has had problems with the local drug lord. They end up in the house where a rich American lives with his daughter.
Director: Murilo Salles | Stars: Priscila Assum, Silvio Guindane, Larry Pine, Ryan Massey
Votes: 359
23. Memórias do Cárcere (1984)
185 min | Drama
Graciliano Ramos' period he spent in prison after being considered a subversive element by the government.
Director: Nelson Pereira dos Santos | Stars: Carlos Vereza, Glória Pires, Nildo Parente, José Dumont
Votes: 510
24. Blindness (2008)
R | 121 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant white blindness.
Director: Fernando Meirelles | Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal, Yûsuke Iseya
Votes: 75,178 | Gross: $3.07M
25. Lower City (2005)
R | 98 min | Drama
Lifelong friends Deco and Naldinho, who own a small steaming boat in Bahia, meet strip-dancer Karinna. Both men fall for her and their friendship is deeply shattered.
Director: Sergio Machado | Stars: Alice Braga, Wagner Moura, Lázaro Ramos, Maria Menezes
Votes: 4,366 | Gross: $0.13M
26. Proibido Proibir (2006)
105 min | Drama
The story of three friends in Rio de Janeiro. When a patient at the hospital where Paulo interns asks him to get in touch with her sons, the three friends are pulled out of their tranquil ... See full summary »
Director: Jorge Durán | Stars: Caio Blat, Maria Flor, Alexandre Rodrigues, Edyr de Castro
Votes: 625
27. Carlota Joaquina, Princesa do Brazil (1995)
100 min | Comedy, History
A hot blooded Spanish princess plots to conquer her enemies and become queen.
Director: Carla Camurati | Stars: Marieta Severo, Antonio Abujamra, Thales Pan Chacon, Ludmila Dayer
Votes: 1,406
28. Terra Estrangeira (1995)
110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After the death of his mother, a young Brazilian decides to leave his country and travel to his mother's native land. In a foreign land, he finds love and danger.
Directors: Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas | Stars: Fernanda Torres, Fernando Alves Pinto, Alexandre Borges, Luís Melo
Votes: 1,923
29. Menino Maluquinho: O Filme (1995)
83 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
The adventures of a nutty little boy of unique personality traits who finds comfort at his grandfather's farm after his parents are divorced.
Director: Helvecio Ratton | Stars: Samuel Costa, Patricia Pillar, Roberto Bomtempo, Luiz Carlos Arutin
Votes: 1,017
30. Gabriela (1983)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1925, Nacib (Marcello Mastroianni) is the owner of a bar in a small Brazilian coastal town runs by the local colonels. He meets Gabriela (Sonia Braga) and hires her on as a cook. They ... See full summary »
Director: Bruno Barreto | Stars: Sonia Braga, Marcello Mastroianni, Antonio Cantafora, Paulo Goulart
Votes: 1,298
31. Morte e Vida Severina (1977)
85 min | Drama
The story of Severino, a man who tries to escape the misery and the drought prevailing in the rural backcountry of the Northeast of Brazil. He heads for Recife, passing through desert and forest regions, expecting to find a better life.
Director: Zelito Viana | Stars: Tânia Alves, José Dumont, Stênio Garcia, Luiz Mendonça
Votes: 89
32. The Man Who Copied (2003)
R | 124 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A Brazilian photocopier operator falls in love with a girl who lives in an opposite house and spends his evenings looking at her through his binoculars.
Director: Jorge Furtado | Stars: Lázaro Ramos, Leandra Leal, Luana Piovani, Pedro Cardoso
Votes: 11,237 | Gross: $0.02M
33. Elite Squad (2007)
R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his position while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope visits.
Director: José Padilha | Stars: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Milhem Cortaz
Votes: 110,184 | Gross: $0.01M
34. Árido Movie (2005)
100 min | Drama
Weatherman from a TV network goes back to his hometown, Vale da Rocha, a place in Northeast Brazil, devastated by the drought. He is forced to face the geographic elements and his own memories.
Director: Lírio Ferreira | Stars: Guilherme Weber, Giulia Gam, José Dumont, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Votes: 568
35. Cão Sem Dono (2007)
82 min | Drama
In Porto Alegre, the unemployed Ciro has a dull life in a simple apartment with a nameless stray dog that he had found on the streets. Ciro is supported by his parents and works every now ... See full summary »
Directors: Beto Brant, Renato Ciasca | Stars: Júlio Andrade, Luiz Carlos V. Coelho, Marcos Contreras, Janaína Kremer Motta
Votes: 462
36. The Midday Sun (2009)
106 min | Drama
Director: Eliane Caffé | Stars: Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Chico Díaz, Cláudia Assunção, Milton Aires
Votes: 46
37. Engraçadinha (1981)
103 min | Drama
Engraçadinha is a sexy teenager, with whom every man wants to get involved, except her cousin Sílvio, the only man she loves. On Sílvio's engagement day, she seduces him at the party and ... See full summary »
Director: Haroldo Marinho Barbosa | Stars: Lucélia Santos, José Lewgoy, Luiz Fernando Guimarães, Wilson Grey
Votes: 240
38. Tieta of Agreste (1996)
140 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Just when her family starts believing that she is dead and that they can expect a rich heritage, Tieta returns from São Paulo to her native village in Bahia, which she had been forced to ... See full summary »
Director: Carlos Diegues | Stars: Sonia Braga, Marília Pêra, Chico Anysio, Cláudia Abreu
Votes: 1,053
39. Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
In a small city of Brazil, a woman named Flor marries a man named Vadinho, but once married she finds that he is a good-for-nothing. She works teaching cooking and he takes all of her money... See full summary »
Director: Bruno Barreto | Stars: Sonia Braga, José Wilker, Mauro Mendonça, Dinorah Brillanti
Votes: 3,317
40. Nós Que Aqui Estamos por Vós Esperamos (1999)
73 min | Documentary
A fascinating and poetical collage of countless images from the 20th century with the purpose of revealing matters of life and death during the era and its many social, cultural and ... See full summary »
Director: Marcelo Masagão | Star: Franz Reichelt
Votes: 766
41. Black Orpheus (1959)
PG | 100 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.
Director: Marcel Camus | Stars: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia
Votes: 12,246
42. Barren Lives (1963)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama
A poor family in the Northeast of Brazil (Fabiano, the father; Sinhá Vitória, the mother; their 2 children and a dog called Baleia) wander about the barren land searching for a better place... See full summary »
Director: Nelson Pereira dos Santos | Stars: Átila Iório, Maria Ribeiro, Orlando Macedo, Jofre Soares
Votes: 2,906
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