Netflix’s newest political documentary, Apocalypse in the Tropics, is a gripping, unsettling look at how democracy in Brazil threatened to unravel when religion and political ambition became deeply intertwined. Directed by Academy Award nominee Petra Costa, the film premieres globally on July 14 — and one thing that makes it such a compelling watch is the fact that it’s relevant to more countries than just Brazil.
With its striking parallels to U.S. politics, this one might make some Trump supporters a little uncomfortable, especially in how it explores the rise of religious populism and its impact on democratic norms.
At the heart of this movie is a question that’s meant to challenge viewers, about where to draw the line between a democracy and a theocracy — and just when it is that a country steps over that line from one to the other. Costa takes viewers on a years-long journey through Brazil’s recent political upheaval, tracing how the country’s growing evangelical movement helped shape and arguably destabilize its democracy.
“This is a fable of our times,” Costa says in Netflix promotional material. And the story she tells is as powerful as it is disturbing. Apocalypse in the Tropics features interviews with key players, like current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president Jair Bolsonaro, and influential televangelist Silas Malafaia, described by many as a kingmaker of sorts behind Brazil’s religious right.
This documentary blends the personal with the political, mixing firsthand stories and archival footage to capture a country in the midst of upheaval. And the reason Costa’s film is currently sitting on a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes is partly to do with the way it grapples with big, unsettling questions about faith, power, and the limits of democracy.
After premiering at major film festivals including in Venice and Telluride, Apocalypse in the Tropics was acquired by Netflix and is now set for wide release. Costa and her collaborators, including producers at Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B, worked for four years on the project. The result is a film that doesn’t just explain what’s happening in Brazil; it holds up a mirror to other nations grappling with similar tensions between faith and governance.
When I mentioned in a recent post (at the end of June) about how, while most Netflix subscribers flock to hit original dramas like Squid Game and Wednesday, I’m there for the platform’s underrated documentary slate, docs like Apocalypse in the Tropics are exactly the sort of thing I was talking about. Bottom line: If you’re looking for a documentary that you’ll still be pondering long after the credits roll, this is the one to watch.
