Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Bacurau Blu-ray Movie Review

A quirky sci-fi experience. Action-packed adventure.

Bacurau is a unique hybrid of science-fiction/horror and thriller which is approached in an independent style. Executive produced by Dora Amorim (Aquarius, The Cult), Bacurau is sure to please audiences looking for a quirky off-the-wall adventure. There is nothing else (quite) like it.

A landscape developed across the expansive outdoors of Brazil, Bacurau is the home to a community of unique and independent villagers. Following the passing of their beloved community leader – the wise, 94 year old Carmelita, the villagers start to see some change in their environment – and not necessarily for the better (as things become increasingly weird). Coffins start appearing in mass surrounding their land and the water supply starts to suffer. Carmelita's brave granddaughter, Teresa (Bárbara Colen), decides it is time to return.

As the community reckons with the changes happening in Bacurau, it becomes apparent that a specialized force is armed to take-out the citizens. A gun-tottin' mercenary, Michael (Udo Kier), is tasked with killing the citizens and a group of renegades on his side take the community by swarm. UFO's start to swirl in the sky and the town no longer shows up in satellite imagery – it's now off the map. Can the small-town folk of Bacurau survive the violent onslaught on the horizon? It's a battle for survival.

Part of the charm of Bacurau is the off-the-wall action-adventure spectacle. As the storyline progresses throughout, the spectacle and mystery begins to build. The storyline initially seems like it could have simply been a drama revolving around a poor community struggling to cope with the challenges of adapting to society changes. Yet as the film builds, the citizens of Bacurau are tossed in to a action-packed sci-fi yarn, complete with the appearance of UFO's.

"Time to smoke 'em."

The production design by Thales Junqueira (The Second Mother, Aquarius) is one of the most impressive elements of the filmmaking. The small village landscape seems well-realized and believable. The community seems as though it could be a real one – and the production aesthetic cements this attribute through the convincing landscapes and buildings showcased from scene one through to the action-packed conclusion.

The cinematography by Pedro Sotero (Neighboring Sounds, Gabriel and the Mountain) is quite striking to behold. The visuals seem heavily inspired by the likes or Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Alita: Battle Angel). The film starts off on a curious note: a look at the ever-expansive sky – as if the stargazing is a prelude to the madness to come. The science-fiction elements are stylized well, expanding the visual narrative. Sotero makes the film more visually compelling to explore and contemplate.

One of the best elements of the filmmaking is the music score composed by Mateus Alves (Bubble, The King Crab) and Tomaz Alves Souza (Cinema, Aspirins, and Vultures, All the colors of the night). The score is exciting and tense during the stand-off sequences of the film. As the citizens go up against invaders attempting to kill them all off (one by one), the score crescendos to a chilling degree as the action heats up considerably.

Written and directed by Juliano Dornelles (A Copa do Mundo no Recife) and Kleber Mendonca Filho (Ateliê da Rua do Brum), Bacurau is an entertaining sci-fi confection that seems original while still wearing its inspirations on its sleeve. The film reminds me somewhat of Blumhouse's The Hunt. A battle between sides – taken to the extreme. Dornelles makes the action- scenes quirky and over the top. While Bacurau is so strange it doesn't wholly work on every level, the concept and cinematic style is reason enough to give it a spin. Check it out.

Bacurau Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, Bacurau is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen.. The picture-quality is quite stunning on this release. The film looks phenomenal here: there is amazing clarity and detail from shot to shot. Throughout the entire presentation, the film appears to be in great shape and the encoding is also impressive: there are no egregious issues to report with regards to compression artifacts and the like. Bacurau looks terrific on Blu-ray disc.

Bacurau Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound presentation and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo presentation. The surround sound presentation is an impressive track: the surrounds were used to great effect throughout the film. The use of sound effects was creative and engaging. A high quality track with nice fidelity. Dialogue remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand during the presentation.

Please Note: Subtitles include English, English SDH (for the deaf and hard of hearing), and French.

Bacurau Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a print booklet featuring an article regarding the feature-film (along with cast/crew production credits).

Audio Commentary by co-director Kleber Mendonca Filho

Bacurau on the Map (HD, 1:01:05) is an in-depth making-of documentary from Kleber Mendonca Filho.

Deleted Scene (HD, 2:03)

Bacurau Conversation (HD, 14:46) features Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juliano Dornelles, and Sonia Braga in conversation. Courtesy of Film at Lincoln Center.

Interview with Directors (HD, 9:02) Kleber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles.

Mens sana in corpore sano (HD, 21:47) is an award-winning 2011 short film directed by Juliano Dornelles.

Bacurau Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:05)

Bacurau Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bacurau is a quirky science-fiction spectacle. Fans of action films with genre-bending will be pleased with the mash-up hyperkinetic style on display. The filmmaking is ambitious. While Bacurau is not a flawless effort, the creativity on display is abundant and makes it worth checking out. The Blu-ray features a strong video-audio presentation. Recommended.