7 Prisoners (7 prisioneiros) (2021)
94%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 4 nominations
A hard-hitting drama that feels disconcertingly real, 7 Prisoners blends sharp storytelling with a searing social conscience.
7 Prisoners” is a movie that will make you feel like you need a hug and a stiff drink at the same time. It’s a gut-wrenching look at the corrupt and degrading system of modern-day slavery in Brazil. But don’t let that scare you away from watching it. The director, Alexandre Moratto, proves himself to be a master of storytelling, and Christian Malheiros gives a performance that will leave you speechless. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an important one. Just make sure you have some tissues and a bottle of whiskey nearby.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Netflix
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some violence and a sexual reference
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39:1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:Brazil
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 5, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 11, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
7 Prisoners, drama, Portuguese (Brazil), R-rated, directed by Alexandre Moratto, written by Alexandre Moratto and Thayná Mantesso, produced by Ramin Bahrani, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Fernando Meirelles, Alexandre Moratto, starring Christian Malheiros as Mateus, Rodrigo Santoro as Luca, Cecilia Homem de Mello, Vitor Julian as Ezequiel, Lucas Oranmian as Isaque, Bruno Rocha, reviewed by Philip De Semlyen, Monica Castillo, Wendy Ide, Randy Myers, Isabelia Herrera, Danny Leigh, Christopher Cross, Carson Timar, Tom Meek, Filipe Freitas, Marshall Shaffer, box office performance unknown, budget unknown
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Rodrigo Santoro – Luca
Cecilia Homem de Mello – self
Vitor Julian – Ezequiel
Lucas Oranmian – Isaque
Bruno Rocha – self
Alexandre Moratto – Director
Ramin Bahrani – Producer
Andrea Barata Ribeiro – Producer
Fernando Meirelles – Producer
Alexandre Moratto – Writer
Thayná Mantesso – Writer
Director(s)
Alexandre Moratto
Writer(s)
Alexandre Moratto, Thayná Mantesso
Producer(s)
Ramin Bahrani, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Fernando Meirelles, Alexandre Moratto
Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (1)
If the pay-offaims for the gut and misses, the journey to that point provides a searing microcosm of a corrupt and degrading system.
November 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Philip De Semlyen
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
With “7 Prisoners,” Moratto proves himself as a director of many talents.
November 18, 2021 | Rating: B+
Monica Castillo
The Playlist
TOP CRITIC
The rather on-the-nose storytelling grows increasingly complex and interesting the further that the protagonist ventures into morally ambiguous territory.
November 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Moratto’s follow-up to his gem “Socrates” is gripping, well-acted and feels disturbingly like a documentary.
November 11, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Randy Myers
San Jose Mercury News
TOP CRITIC
Rather than being a simple examination of a social problem, the film excels at excavating the deep-rooted, sprawling violence that affects everyone living under hierarchies of power.
November 11, 2021
Isabelia Herrera
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
This film about modern slavery is as emotionally gruelling as you might expect, with a story you need to be ready for. It is also one that will brilliantly wrongfoot you.
November 11, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Danny Leigh
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
7 Prisoners pulls no punches in portraying a world so hellbent on destroying what little humanity it has left.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Christopher Cross
Tilt Magazine
7 Prisoners feels like a near-modern-masterpiece, with both Alexandre Moratto and Christian Malheiros cementing themselves as two of the strongest voices working in film today.
February 12, 2022
Carson Timar
Clapper
A dark tale depicting the unholy union of organized crime, systemic corruption and gross classism in Brazil.
December 16, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
The line between victim and accomplice can be very thin, raising complex moral dilemmas.
December 5, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Filipe Freitas
Always Good Movies
It’s a searing indictment of the systems that govern upward mobility – or lack thereof – as experienced and felt through the fully human experience of protagonist Mateus (Christian Malheiros).
December 2, 2021
Marshall Shaffer
Decider
A ingenious exploration of the way capital transforms its underclass into their own exploiters.
November 18, 2021 | Rating: B+
Vincent Mancini
Uproxx…
Plot
To provide a better life for his family in the country, 18-year-old Mateus accepts a job in a junkyard in São Paulo for his new boss, Luca. But when he and a few other boys become trapped in the dangerous world of human trafficking, Mateus will be forced to decide between working for the very man who imprisoned him or risk his and his family’s future.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sorry, there is no mention of the film AT&T NOW WITH HYPER-GIG SPEEDS or any cast members in the Fresh Kernels article provided.
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