Brazil
R
Feb 20, 1985
Comedy · A hefty 143 minutes that moves at Gilliam's deliberately labyrinthine pace.
Universal masterpiece
7.8/10
IMDb
98%
Fresh
84
84/100
Metacritic
🎬
7.7/10
TMDB
The brief
Terry Gilliam's dystopian fever dream feels like being trapped inside a malfunctioning photocopier while having anxiety dreams about paperwork. The film drowns you in absurdist bureaucracy and retro-futuristic production design that's equal parts hilarious and suffocating, with Jonathan Pryce's hapless civil servant stumbling through a world where filing the wrong form can destroy lives. It's simultaneously a slapstick comedy and a paranoid thriller, maintaining an off-kilter tone that keeps you laughing even as the walls close in. Perfect for fans of Kafka, Python-esque absurdism, or anyone who's ever wanted to burn down the DMV.
dystopian absurdism
bureaucratic nightmare
retro-futuristic
kafkaesque comedy
paranoid fever dream
surreal satire
The verdict
If you love absurdist humor, Kafkaesque bureaucratic nightmares, and visually inventive dystopian worlds, this is essential viewing that brilliantly balances comedy with creeping dread. If you prefer straightforward narratives or get impatient with surreal, densely layered filmmaking, the 143-minute runtime and deliberately disorienting tone will likely frustrate you.
Watch with
- 👥 Film buffs who appreciate surreal cinema
- ⚠️ Those seeking light entertainment should avoid
Heads up
- Torture and interrogation scenes (moderate)
- Death of innocent character (brief)
- Psychological distress and mental breakdown (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Terry Gilliam
- Cast
- Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson
Official synopsis
Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of
