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The Devil Queen

Play trailer 1:27 Poster for The Devil Queen Jun 2026 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 6 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Rio de Janeiro's criminal underworld is run by an unexpected boss: Diaba (Milton Gonçalves), a femme queen with a taste for power and violence. When the police come after her boy toy, Diaba attempts to find a scapegoat to take the blame and a plot to dethrone Her Majesty arises! Always clad in gloriously colorful outfits and accessories inspired by Afro-Brazilian culture, Diaba runs a mob of eccentric misfits made up of drag queens, pimps, prostitutes, and queer folks of all stripes.

Critics Reviews

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Erik Piepenburg New York Times 6d
Gonçalves — a rageful, heartbreaking gangster — and the film he dominates are must-sees for fans of under-the-radar queer movie history. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell Fish Jelly Films (YouTube) 23h
3.5/5
Hell hath no fury like a crime queen scorned in Fontoura's 1970s seedy saga of backstabbing and betrayal set in the jaundiced demimonde of Rio as the reign of a queer cartel leader comes to a close. Go to Full Review Avery Coffey MovieJawn 5d
The Devil Queen is raunchy, rough, and racy, with a Black, queer protagonist that steals the screen — and it’s now available in a new 4K restoration. Go to Full Review Lee Jutton Film Inquiry Jun 13
A film that may as well have "cult classic" written on it in blood-spattered sequins, The Devil Queen is a hell of a lot of fun. Go to Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Jun 11
There’s a lot of violence all the more memorable for being so unconvincing... Still, there’s an undeniable conviction to the whole enterprise, which in tandem with its amusingly baroque elements makes it hard to turn away from. Go to Full Review Joseph Robinson Fish Jelly Films (YouTube) Jun 1
3.5/5
The Devil Queen is a wild queer gangster time capsule that effortlessly blends genres while delivering more double-crosses than should be allowed in one script. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 12 Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes. See more Read all reviews
The Devil Queen

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Antônio Carlos da Fontoura

Director

Milton Gonçalves

Rainha Diaba

Odete Lara

Isa Gonzalez

Stepan Nercessian

Bereco

Nelson Xavier

Catitu

Wilson Grey

Manco
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The Devil Queen

The Devil Queen: 4K Restoration Trailer The Devil Queen: 4K Restoration Trailer 1:27 View more videos
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The Devil Queen

The Devil Queen (1974) The Devil Queen (1974) The Devil Queen (1974) The Devil Queen (1974) The Devil Queen (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Rio de Janeiro's criminal underworld is run by an unexpected boss: Diaba (Milton Gonçalves), a femme queen with a taste for power and violence. When the police come after her boy toy, Diaba attempts to find a scapegoat to take the blame and a plot to dethrone Her Majesty arises! Always clad in gloriously colorful outfits and accessories inspired by Afro-Brazilian culture, Diaba runs a mob of eccentric misfits made up of drag queens, pimps, prostitutes, and queer folks of all stripes.
Director
Antônio Carlos da Fontoura
Producer
Antônio Carlos da Fontoura, Roberto Farias, Paulo Porto
Screenwriter
Antônio Carlos da Fontoura
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
R.F. Farias, Lanterna Magica, Ventania Filmes, Canto Claro Produções Artísticas, Filmes De Lírio
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 12, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 25, 2026
Runtime
1h 40m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)