Bacurau

Abstract

When released in theatres, Bacurau sparked a massive controversy due to its graphic depiction of violence and its alleged connection to Brazil’s socio-political climate, marked in recent years by profound political polarisation and cultural wars. This article explores an often-overlooked aspect of the film: the use of humour and its articulation with horror and science fiction imaginations. Our argument is that humour plays a key role in Bacurau, establishing connections between speculative fiction and historical reality, which underpins the film’s political work. We look at the significant attention that the interactions between humour, horror, and science fiction have received in Brazilian cinema produced over the last decade, and we conduct a detailed analysis of the use of humour in Bacurau, one of the most prominent films produced in the country during this period. We seek to understand how the interweaving of humour and speculative fiction is employed in the film, and if it is used to address controversial issues such as identity politics, racism, regionalism, and colonial legacies. We also investigate the extent to which this unconventional combination serves as a strategic tool for engaging with Brazil’s contemporary landscape of social and political unrest.