As a Brazilian that lives in Sao Paulo, the city that serves as the background to 7 Prisoners, I can testify for many cruel aspects that the director Alexandre Moratto depicts in his latest movie available on Netflix.
Labor slavering has been a serious issue in Brazil since the distant colonial times to the current days. This country of continental dimensions has a bruising absense of the State, from its distant, remote parts to its huge metropolises, crowded with people from small countryside cities, and immigrants from all over the third world looking for a ceiling, a job, and food.
These evil ingredients result in a very favorable scenario to what we see in 7 Prisoners. Moratto's vision of this problem is raw and realistic, sculpting a very tridimensional take on both antagonist and protagonist characters.
The moral dilemma lived by Mateus, a victim of this corrupted system, is shocking and heartbreaking, keeping the audience uncomfortable and distressed.
7 Prisoners is not escapist entertainment, and neither the movie will make an effort to be that. There won't be a hero coming and saving the day, nor a growing journey blessing the protagonist with a common sense of justice and good sense in the end.
This is not a thriller or an action film, this is a depicting of reality as cruel as it is, so if you are not into a realistic take on life facts, this movie is not for you. For the others, breathe deeply and be prepared for 90 minutes of uncomfortable truth. You won't regret it.
