Apocalypse In The Tropics (2025) Movie Review – An important archive of Brazilian politics
Petra Costa, a female Brazilian filmmaker and actress, is known for her acclaimed political documentary Edge of Democracy. Once again, she dives deep into Brazilian politics and its inner workings in her new project, Apocalypse In The Tropics.
This time, she examines how multiple people have been using religion to shape the political sphere and the rise of fundamentalism in Brazil. Although that phenomenon can be seen in various moments, she focuses on the period between 2016 and 2022. She also smartly explains it as one of the main reasons Jair Messias Bolsonaro became the country's president during that time.
Apocalypse In The Tropics is one of the most informative political documentaries on Netflix. That's because you follow Costa as she tries to understand and learns more about the subject as well. She notices the changes in the government's inner workings and studies the bible, quoting various parts throughout the movie.
Besides, she follows Silas Malafaia, one of the most famous religious leaders in Brazil. It not only gives us insight into his thoughts, but also into his personal life and relationships. The most important for the work was his friendship with Bolsonaro, whom he helped elect.
At one point, Costa describes the government as a dramaturgy, and she represents that clearly. You can see all the ploys, twists, and turns that move this complex realm. Even people who feel more like characters than humans. One great example is when she talks about Bolsonaro adopting a messianic posture and using his second name for that (which means Messiah in English).
Even though they aren't a focus, she doesn't let her beliefs fade into the background. Her ideology comes to life via her strong and sharp narration. It makes her text more interesting, regardless of whether you agree with her or not.
One of the movie's strongest moments is when she examines Bolsonaro's presidency during COVID. Earlier, she had said he unleashed 'the country's most repressed hatreds,' and that became truer during that time. You can feel in your skin the lack of empathy he feels for the population, contradictory when you think about the church's beliefs or his messianic act. It's an impactful part of the documentary and quite heavy.
For a moment, the screen stays still while we listen to various people complaining about the lack of resources and the mistreatment of their loved ones. The desperation in their voices is enough to make your eyes water. And the religion in Brazil thrived because of Bolsonaro's hatred.
At times, the president and other politicians even appear only as puppets for the religious leaders, as Costa points out. They're weird scenes to experience, especially when you remember Brazil is supposed to be a secular state.
Still, it's hard to escape this 'holy war' even if you're against it. Brazil's current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, affirms he's a Christian but doesn't want to involve religion in his campaign. However, as religion becomes more and more important in that political sphere, he feels forced to concede.
In fact, his campaign seems full of compromises, demonstrating how he's obligated to be part of this religious conflict and discard some of his proposals to have a winning chance.
Apocalypse In The Tropics isn't universal and doesn't try to be. Still, it isn't limited to Brazil. The documentary even shows a 1958 speech by Billy Graham, a North American evangelist, and how the US worked to influence the power of religion in South America.
It's quite an interesting part, as we see for the first time other perspectives on religion. Also, how the country could have had a quite different relationship with it, if not for foreign influence. With that, it's quite important to state that Costa never admonishes religion as a whole. She only criticizes how a certain use of it can weaken democracy.
Although the movie is very informative, there are a few subjects that it could've explained further. The use of fake news by Bolsonaro's government was essential to his campaign and one of the major reasons he's ineligible at the moment. The documentary hints at that, but it never showcases it as one of the former president's strategies.
Having more interviews with common citizens would have also done wonders to clarify how the 'holy war' was affecting Brazilians at the time. We only have a few instances of that, but they're some of the best portions of the film.
Still, what makes Costa's work shine is the technical aspects. Often, documentaries don't rely as much on creativity, as they are trying to express their ideas in the clearest way possible. However, Apocalypse In The Tropics's inventiveness is what makes its message stronger.
The incredible editing, filled with religious iconography, creates stunning and artistic visuals. When combined with the classical music soundtrack, it intensifies the apocalyptic vibe of the documentary. At times, it feels like you're watching a horror movie.
The documentary's biggest feat is its sharp record of Brazil's reality during that period, representing both sides of the 'holy war.' Apocalypse In The Tropics isn't only instructive, but also an important archive of our time.
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