Apocalypse in the Tropics

This is a very difficult but very necessary movie, which shows us upfront the destructive foolishness of allowing Christianity to dictate politics, and of enabling dangerous authoritarians to represent people.

Brazil has been - and still is - saddled with multitudes of delinquents with Christian discourse. There is no upside to that obscenity, and we all must strive to get rid of that disease.

The movie is a bit tedious, for sure. So much of what it shows we have painfully watched happens with our own eyes. But perhaps not enough people have the integrity to remember what has happened and how fiercely it must be stopped and corrected.

The new Netflix documentary "Apocalypse in the Tropics" is a chilling, close-up look at Christian Nationalism on the rise, this time in Brazil, which is reckoning with its own version of January 6. With an eerie score, pointed narration, and unnervingly intimate footage, the doc takes you into the backrooms where power, faith, and fascism collide. What's most striking is that unlike the U. S., Brazil seems willing to hold its would-be coup plotters to account. As an American who lived through a real military coup in Thailand, I found this film deeply unsettling and terribly relevant. Watching from abroad, it's impossible not to see the parallels: attacks on democratic institutions, judicial overreach, corporate complicity, and a twisted gospel that weaponizes religion to control women, demonize LGBTQ+ people, and ignore the poor, the sick, and the stranger. This isn't just a Brazilian problem; it's a global one and it may already be too late. This doc is highly recommended and honestly, it's Code Red for democracy everywhere.

As "Apocalypse In the Tropics" (2024 release; 119 min) opens, the movie's director, Petra Costa, herself Brazilian, recounts in a voiceover how surprised she was upon returning there in 2016 to fins that Brazil's political landscape was rapidly transforming as a result of the record growth of evangelicals (from 5% to 30% in the last 40 years). Costa decides to look into this phenom and was granted wide access. At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: Oscar-nominated documentarian Petra Costa ("The Edge of Democracy") brings another highly-charged political documentary. This time reflecting on how evangelicals have overtaken the hard right, resulting in the astonishing election of Bolsonaro in 2018, and all the things that came after that. If is a fascinating watch. I was vaguely familiar with much of this, but to see it laid out as precise and clear as Costa does here, it all pits it into a new perspective. Also this: Bolsonaro copies pretty much every move by Trump, with a two year delay. Absolutely amazing. Please note that Brad Pitt is one of the movie's Executive Producers.

"Apocalypse in the Tropics" premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August, 2024, to immediate and universal critical acclaim. It is now streaming on Netflix, where I caught it just the other night. The documentary is currently rated 92% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you are interested in geopolitics, or in the ever-growing influence of evangelicals, in this case in Brazil, over the political scene, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Another very good and timeless documentary by Petra. A bit slower than The Edge of Democracy, but worth watching to understand the parallel between religion and politics in Brazil. This is a parallel that can be drawn in other countries, but it's more evident today in Brazil with evangelical churches. For those who say it's biased, it also shows the Brazilian left's dilemma with religion, which is very complex and often contradictory. It could be faster, more dynamic. Less Malafaia and more about the role of these churches on both sides, despite being more evident in the Brazilian far right. I liked it, and watched this to my Polish wife, it was very interesting but could be deeper than what was showcased.

"Apocalypse in the Tropics" is a powerful and timely documentary that bravely explores the alarming rise of religious fundamentalism within the political sphere - a phenomenon with deep and troubling implications for democracies around the world, especially in countries like Brazil. With her signature sensitivity and courage, Petra Costa delivers a work that is both urgent and poetic, peeling back layers of ideology to reveal how faith, when co-opted by power, can erode institutions and threaten civil liberties. This film is not just a warning - it's a vital act of resistance. Petra once again proves why she is one of the most essential voices in contemporary documentary cinema.