Apocalypse in the Tropics

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2:21

Apocalypse in the Tropics

PG-13

2025

1h 50m

Documentary

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? In APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS, Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip that faith leaders hold over politics in Brazil. Costa gains extraordinary access to the country's top political leaders, including President Lula, and former President Bolsonaro, as well as to Brazil's most famous televangelist: a larger-than-life pastor who seems to play puppet master to the latter. As the film unveils the key role the evangelical movement has played in Brazil's recent political turmoil, it also reveals the apocalyptic theology that drives its chief protagonists. As in her Academy-Award® nominated THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY, Costa documents a time of profound confusion and despair with lucidity and a poetic eye. Weaving past and present, she immerses us in the contradictory realities of a young democracy that is hanging on by a thread, and in doing so holds up a mirror to the rest of the world.

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Critics Consensus

A gripping and unsettling documentary, Apocalypse in the Tropics offers a sobering reflection on the dangerous erosion of democratic boundaries as religious extremism intertwines with political power.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

Oct 14

I thought it was great... Gripping and way, way too relevant.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Oct 14

I appreciate this documentary very much... Very, very interesting.

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Guy Lodge

Variety

Oct 14

Rakes with a heavy heart through the recent past while casting an anxious eye to the future.

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Glenn Dunks

reDocumented

Mar 8

There’s no doubt a hell of a lot more to the story and maybe there’s another film’s story to tell in a trilogy-capping feature. But this is an incisive look at one country’s perilous descent into dangerous extremism...

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Steve Morrissey

Radio Times

Feb 23

3/5

This remains an important historical primer with more than just local or regional appeal.

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Jan 31

B

Both Bolsonaro and Trump, and their evangelical followers have put a tremendous strain on the democratic institutions of both Brzazil and the United States. The parallels between the two are troubling.

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Mark D

@markdowd1959 Feb 20

Excellent content but badly compromised by the awful dubbing of the contributors and the choice of narrator's voice.

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Michael W

@RT03067665 Jan 15

I wish it wouldn't have been dubbed. The content is very important but the dubbing was so bad, it ruined the movie for me. Maybe in the future I'll give it another try with a sub-titled version.

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Josh C

@xjknightx Aug 28

Great story, but the documentarian's voice is unpleasant and the English dubbing of all of the dialogue is pretty awful.

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Lorena L

@RT27537381 Aug 14

Um documentário necessário.

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Sávio Túlio d

@savioliveira Jul 28

Um documentário para gringo ver. Para o brasileiro que tem cognição, choca e agrega pouco - para os outros, é campanha eleitoral tendenciosa.

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nebulousclarity T

@RT23364506 Jul 27

Got intrigued from watching the trailer, so I resubscribed to Netflix just for this, but I couldn't get myself to finish it after putting in about half an hour. I understand the concern for religious fanaticism blending into politics, needless to say. It's just that the more I watched the doc, it felt too repetitive over the same theme with too much detail. And the overarching narrative didn't really seem balanced for the left, while covering the extreme side of the right, although what I missed from the remainder may say other wise; hence the three stars for a neutral rating.

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Petra Costa

Director

Petra Costa

Self

Jair Bolsonaro

Self

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Self

Petra Costa

Writer

Alessandra Orofino

Writer

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Apocalypse in the Tropics: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? In APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS, Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip that faith leaders hold over politics in Brazil. Costa gains extraordinary access to the country's top political leaders, including President Lula, and former President Bolsonaro, as well as to Brazil's most famous televangelist: a larger-than-life pastor who seems to play puppet master to the latter. As the film unveils the key role the evangelical movement has played in Brazil's recent political turmoil, it also reveals the apocalyptic theology that drives its chief protagonists. As in her Academy-Award® nominated THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY, Costa documents a time of profound confusion and despair with lucidity and a poetic eye. Weaving past and present, she immerses us in the contradictory realities of a young democracy that is hanging on by a thread, and in doing so holds up a mirror to the rest of the world.

Director: Petra Costa
Producer: Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino
Screenwriter: Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino, David Barker, Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino, Nels Bangerter, David Barker
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Busca Vida Filmes, Peri Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Some Language and Nudity)
Genre: Documentary, History
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 14, 2025
Runtime: 1h 50m