7 Prisoners

Not even going to the golden spoon kind of thing that we all know. This is about really having it tough. Life is tough in general I know, but for some it can be even tougher. Now there even worse situations than the one(s) depicted here, but you can argue like that many times.

So having to turn to crime - well it is a choice, but it sometimes does seem like the only way to go. This is down and dirty, grim and quite dark. And it is played that way ... with guns feeling heavy and not just a prop like in any other action movie. So reality may sink in and may be something you do not like to see in movies. If you do though, then the movie here will satisfy your needs ... very well (naturally) acted too.

"Do you see that? All that copper wire is from us. Your work powers the whole city." **showing the wires from the utility poles and power lines in the city**

A Brazilian drama on Netflix. 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 becomes trapped in the dangerous world of human trafficking.

Phew this movie was intense. Human trafficking was already a serious topic that didn't get much attention or solution, and this movie brought this topic back up with a terrifying look at how the cycle of traffickers and trafficking perpetuates.

What made this movie so horrifying was its simple yet realistic story. The main character was smart and knew how to survive in the harsh world, but by doing that he started to lose his humanity and his old self. With his situation, it's frustrating, shocking, but bizarrely logical watching the decisions that the main character made.

When I watch a movie I usually look at the time to see how far I was into the movie. However, this was one of those that brought my attention almost 100% for the whole runtime.

Overall, a movie that tackled a dark topic in a realistic way that would draw you all in. 9/10.

I enjoyed this movie a lot.

Of course it's a simple movie but the story is not predictable at all. The characters are interesting and the camera work is very good too. You can watch it for free also

Give it a chance.

This film exposes the reality of labor exploitation in Brazil.

The film has a good development of the story, it exposes a forceful blow of reality about how it is to want to improve the individual economic situation, it touches the subject of labor exploitation, corruption, of how economic necessity can force you to enslave other people in order to make money regardless of the human rights of others, it is impressive how this film exposes these issues and how it develops a memorable and very raw story. The performances make the movie feel very real, the production design is good as is the character development. The only negative aspect is that when something shocking happens it does not continue, it stays there and it does not happen in the story.

But still the film manages to impact the viewer and manages to expose the labor and economic situation that exists in Brazil.

As a Brazilian that lives in Sao Paulo, the city that serves as the background to 7 Prisoners, I can testify for many cruel aspects that the director Alexandre Moratto depicts in his latest movie available on Netflix.

Labor slavering has been a serious issue in Brazil since the distant colonial times to the current days. This country of continental dimensions has a bruising absense of the State, from its distant, remote parts to its huge metropolises, crowded with people from small countryside cities, and immigrants from all over the third world looking for a ceiling, a job, and food.

These evil ingredients result in a very favorable scenario to what we see in 7 Prisoners. Moratto's vision of this problem is raw and realistic, sculpting a very tridimensional take on both antagonist and protagonist characters.

The moral dilemma lived by Mateus, a victim of this corrupted system, is shocking and heartbreaking, keeping the audience uncomfortable and distressed.

7 Prisoners is not escapist entertainment, and neither the movie will make an effort to be that. There won't be a hero coming and saving the day, nor a growing journey blessing the protagonist with a common sense of justice and good sense in the end.

This is not a thriller or an action film, this is a depicting of reality as cruel as it is, so if you are not into a realistic take on life facts, this movie is not for you. For the others, breathe deeply and be prepared for 90 minutes of uncomfortable truth. You won't regret it.