As Boas Maneiras (2017)★ 6.9/10

Tem uns furos aqui e ali, umas referencias que poderiam ser melhor utilizadas, um final talvez um pouco questionável, mas eu já fico muito feliz em saber que atualmente no Brasil temos chances de ousar no cinema e quem sabe esse é o primeiro de uma série evolutiva de terror/fábula no cinema nacional. Tenho esperança.

For all its ambition, the story can’t quite justify its two-hour runtime. The urban werewolf premise is not without potential, but the film lacks a coherent mythology. We’re given no explanation of the werewolf’s origin, its abilities, its relationship with humans, or even the rules of transformation. The resulting world feels underdeveloped, and its muddled themes make emotional investment nearly impossible.

The narrative is deliberately split in two, with the Black nanny serving as the connective thread. The racial and class divisions in contemporary Brazil are laid bare in the uneasy bond between the white pregnant woman and the Black caretaker. Yet, instead of leaning into despair, the script cleverly subverts social hierarchy with a touch of female solidarity and queer desire.

Drawing on a Brazilian urban legend, this film fluidly shifts across genres under the stylized vision of its co-directors. Beneath the surface lies a scathing critique of social injustice and the marginalization of the underclass.