As Boas Maneiras

The werewolf myth is about the innocent who is damned.

The myth's fascination stems precisely from the fact that the condition of becoming a furious monster can strike a person who has done nothing wrong.

What if this inherent innocence of the myth were taken to its ultimate consequences, and the curse affected a child?

That's the wonderful premise of one of the best werewolf films of all time "The Good Manners" (a Brazil-France coproduction, shot in São Paulo).

Attention: it is not your conventional jump scare movie (although it has a few chills here and there). The film mixes with wisdom and creativity different genres. It is a dark fairy tale in which horror, comedy, drama and even musical numbers blends altogether. Makes sense, since one of the main references are the Disney old animated feature films.

It's two stories in one. The first half has a Hitchcockian tradition: the filmmakers do not hide from the audience the true nature of what is happening, but the protagonists still do not know. So we are apprehensive, hoping for them to find out. The second half is totally unpredictable and the stakes are higher.

An absolute highlight is the musical score form brothers Guilherme and Gustavo Garbato, with chilling and beautiful lullabies.

I'm more of a killer doll type of guy myself, but I enjoy a good werewolf movie here and there and this one is a must watch for anyone who is into werewolves. Yes, it's subtitled - But, give it a chance. It's equal parts cute and depressing, clever and idiotic. A fantastic movie with a few notable flaws. The movie has these random moments that seem like there going somewhere, but end up nowhere. Some of the acting is hilariously bad, some of it is great. It's mainly the concept of a vegan 7 year old werewolf and his lesbain mother that holds the movie together. A fantastically flawed movie. Can see this being a 8 or 9 in the eyes of a werewolf lover.

Mubi's "our take" on this film reads: "Springing from an urban legend, this ferociously inventive Brazilian "creature feature" combines sharp social observation and lesbian desire with unsettling fantasy elements. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Locarno, Good Manners is a visually exciting and boundary-pushing gem of genre cinema." Whoever wrote this probably didn't watch the film and merely skimmed the synopsis.

This is a captivating fantasy/drama/horror film, a French-Brazilian co-production, with a unique take on the werewolf mythos that blends the cinematic languages of both countries into its narrative and execution.

This film came onto my radar due to its inclusion in the BFI selection, and it has also competed in the Locarno International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and São Paulo International Film Festival, even winning an award at Locarno.

If you have the time and an interest in genre-bending cinema, you definitely shouldn't miss this one.

I love Werewolf movies and they are hard to come by without being silly or boring but this one was excellent! Great acting, story and picture. I was very impressed.

Very well done film that switches genres and perhaps leading characters as it advances. Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano and the boy Miguel Lobo have great performances. It is very surprising; therefore, the less I say, the best it is for you. Congrats for directors/writers Juliana Rojas and Marco Dultra. Social issues, LGBT, horror, fantasy, musical, Brazilian culture and folklore... there are many ingredients in this unusual film which worked quite wel despite the risks.