Carandiru

Play trailer

Carandiru

R,

2003,

2h 28m,

Crime/

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

68%

79 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

79 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A doctor (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) listens to inmates' stories as he tests them for HIV in a dangerously overcrowded Brazilian prison.

Critics Consensus

A gritty, poignant, and shocking prison movie.

Read Critics Reviews

Will Self

London Evening Standard

Jan 9, 2018

We know the massacre is going to happen from the off, and yet, despite this, the tension doesn't build much, perhaps because the film is over-long.

Go to Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Aug 13, 2004

4/5

We're served up meaty, often spicy, slices of sadly wasted lives.

Go to Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Aug 1, 2004

3.5/5

It has the resonant feel of myth, buoyed by simultaneously vicious and compassionate performances from the men on both sides of the bars.

Go to Full Review

Wael Khairy

The Cinephile Fix

Sep 23, 2022

If you enjoyed epic Brazilian crime dramas such as “City of God”, “Pixote”, and the “Elite Squad” films, I urge you to seek out this underappreciated film from one of Brazil’s most renowned directors.

Go to Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Jun 14, 2009

A-

"Carandiru" is a soulful movie that eschews glamour and formula to present a thoughtful meditation on an endemic prison reality that reaches far beyond the confines of the richest city in South America.

Go to Full Review

Jason Gorber

Film Scouts

Jun 21, 2007

B

Carandiru could have been a great prison drama, but it mixed its genres so thoroughly in an attempt to make it entertaining and accessible that I felt it lost its bite.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Luke R

Jan 29, 2017

A deglamourized depiction of the real-life tragedy, Hector Babenco's humanity puts some light over the violence that resonates through the screen.

See more

Read all reviews

Hector Babenco

Director

Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos

Physician

Milhem Cortaz

Peixeira

Milton Gonçalves

Chico

Ivan de Almeida

Nego Preto

Ailton Graça

Majestade

Red Bear

67%

78%

Red Bear

Watchlist

Stander

72%

80%

Stander

Watchlist

Walk on Water

75%

87%

Walk on Water

Watchlist

After You

56%

66%

After You

Watchlist

Exiles

75%

83%

Exiles

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

A doctor (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) listens to inmates' stories as he tests them for HIV in a dangerously overcrowded Brazilian prison.

Director: Hector Babenco
Producer: Flávio R. Tambellini, Hector Babenco, Óscar Kramer, Rui Pires
Screenwriter: Hector Babenco, Victor Navas, Fernando Bonassi, Drauzio Varella
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Oscar Kramer S.A., Lereby, Br Petrobas, Columbia TriStar Filmes do Brasil, Globo Filmes, HB Filmes
Rating: R (Drug Use|Carnage|Language|Sexuality|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 21, 2003, Original
Box Office (Gross USA): $214.0K
Runtime: 2h 28m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings