Brazilian film Hard Labor starts playing in the U.S. October 30th

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Over the last couple years, I have gotten very interested in Brazilian culture, and of course that interest includes checking out Brazilian film, horror movies in particular. So far, I would recommend 2010's BEYOND THE GRAVE, 1964's AT MIDNIGHT I'LL TAKE YOUR SOUL, and the films of Rodrigo Aragão.

Since the country's genre offerings already have my attention, I was glad to hear that a Brazilian horror film entitled HARD LABOR (TRABALHAR CANSA in its native Portuguese) will be getting a theatrical release in the U.S. starting on October 30th, when it will open at New York's Cinema Village. It will then gradually roll out onto screens throughout the states.

Directed by Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas, HARD LABOR is described as a "domestic horror film" and draws comparisons to THE SHINING and the work of THE BICYCLE THIEF director Vittorio De Sica. 

Its story:

Although emotionally in sync, Helena (Helena Albergaria) and her white-collar husband Otavio (Marat Descartes), suddenly find themselves at opposite ends of the labor force: just as she gets ready to open a grocery store (and become a business owner), he is fired from a “stable” job.

As Otávio goes through a series of humiliating and ego-crushing job interviews (and is forced to re-invent himself for a new job market), Helena jumpstarts her grocery store in a mysterious (and progressively deteriorating) building. Soon enough, her enthusiasm for a better future begins to give way to a dark, pervasive doom – and Otávio’s self-upgrading morphs into an eerie transformation.

A U.S. release has been a long time coming for the movie, which played at Cannes way back in 2011. A trailer was released online to coincide with its Cannes premiere, and can be viewed below.

Wanting to delve further into Brazilian film, I'll be watching HARD LABOR at the first opportunity.