If you loved
Bacurau
Kleber Mendonça Filho · Film · 2019
What hooked you in Bacurau was the way a small, isolated community must unite to confront deep-seated corruption and external threats.
Books on the same thread
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel García Márquez · Book · 1967
Like the residents of Bacurau, the people of Macondo navigate the rise and fall of their home against the weight of history, fate, and systemic political corruption.
The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling · Book · 2012
Much like the power dynamics explored in Bacurau, this story pulls back the curtain on a seemingly quiet town to reveal the ugly reality of class conflict and inequality.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
James McBride · Book · 2023
Just as the community in Bacurau protects its own, the residents of Pottstown grapple with the long-held secrets and prejudices that define their shared history and social survival.
The Shape of Water
Andrea Camilleri · Book · 2002
This investigation into a small-town death mirrors the moral ambiguity found in Bacurau, where the facade of a quiet community hides deeper layers of corruption and local secrets.
Series on the same thread
Broadchurch
Chris Chibnall · Series · 2013
The intrusive external forces threatening the community in Bacurau are echoed here as a media frenzy descends upon a small town, tearing at its fragile internal bonds.
Shiki
Tetsuro Amino · Series · 2010
If the isolation and defensive paranoia of Bacurau resonated with you, you will find a similar intensity in this village as it confronts an encroaching threat to tradition.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Bacurau shares this series' fascination with small-town secrets, using an external investigation to expose the dark, surreal underbelly that exists beneath a seemingly ordinary local surface.
Desperate Housewives
Marc Cherry · Series · 2004
While tonally distinct from Bacurau, this series examines the same theme of hidden lives and buried secrets within a tight-knit community that appears perfect to the outside world.
Podcasts on the same thread
Up and Vanished
Tenderfoot TV · Podcast · 2026
The investigative spirit of Bacurau is present here as the series digs into the cold cases and systemic failures that haunt the isolated landscape of a small town.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Similar to the way individuals in Bacurau fight back against their circumstances, this character study explores the intense frustration and social decay of a man trapped in Alabama.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Bacurau set in a real location?
Bacurau is set in the Brazilian sertão, a semi-arid region in the interior of Brazil. The film depicts a fictional small town within this geographical area that suddenly disappears from maps following the death of its matriarch, Carmelita.
What is the premise of Bacurau?
Bacurau follows the inhabitants of a small town in the Brazilian sertão as they mourn the death of their 94-year-old matriarch, Carmelita. Shortly after her passing, the community discovers that their town has been removed from digital and physical maps, leading to a series of mysterious events.
Who directed Bacurau?
Bacurau was directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. Released in 2019, the film focuses on a remote community in the Brazilian sertão that finds itself erased from maps and facing an unexplained threat shortly after the death of their longtime matriarch.
When does the story of Bacurau take place?
The story of Bacurau takes place in a contemporary setting shortly after the death of the town matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be 94. The narrative centers on the community noticing their town has vanished from maps in the days following her funeral.