Elite Squad
Tropa de Elite
2007BrazilLanguage: ptDirected by José Padilha★ 8.1
Available in English: subtitled
In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.
Themes and style
Tone
bleakbrutaltensedark comedy
Pacing
relentlessescalating
Story
survivalpursuitwar
Emotion
guiltfiguring out who you areragefeeling powerlessloss of innocence
Themes
corrupt institutionsclass and moneylife under oppressionpovertyold ways vs. new world
Feel
exhaustinggut punchdiscussion startercathartic
Violence
graphicWhere to watch
Hollywood films like Elite Squad
If Elite Squad hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
The Last King of Scotland
2006USA★ 7.43.5 pt match
What ties these together is guilt, figuring out who you are, and feeling powerless. Both circle the same ground: life under oppression, corrupt institutions, and class and money. Same energy: tense, bleak, and escalating.
12 Years a Slave
2013USA★ 7.93 pt match
Both films sit with figuring out who you are, feeling powerless, and loss of innocence. Both circle the same ground: class and money, life under oppression, and corrupt institutions. Both move the same way too, bleak, brutal, and escalating.
Precious
2009USA★ 7.33 pt match
What ties these together is figuring out who you are, loss of innocence, and feeling powerless. Both circle the same ground: class and money, poverty, and life under oppression. Both move the same way too, bleak and escalating.