Elite Squad

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Elite Squad

R

2008

1h 54m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

53%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The captain (Wagner Moura) of a special Brazilian police force considers which of two new recruits (André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira) would make a suitable successor.

Critics Consensus

Brutal, action heavy, Brazilian cop film with a pointless voiceover. Lacks flair, overdoes the violence and is never quite sure where its morals lie.

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V.A. Musetto

New York Post

09/19/2008

1/4

For nearly two hours, Padilha bombards viewers with senseless, sickening violence for its own sake.

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Manohla Dargis

New York Times

09/19/2008

.5/5

Elite Squad is a relentlessly ugly, unpleasant, often incoherent assault on the senses from Brazil.

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David Fear

Time Out

09/17/2008

2/6

Elite Squad can't decide whether it wants to pull the lid back on what urban decay has wrought or simply open up a can of whup ass.

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Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

Jan 20

3/5

While the movie evidently succeeded in shining a light on a chaotic aspect of Brazilian culture, its frenetic structure and pacing can be disorienting.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

02/12/2021

6/10

It keeps me interested with its sample of slum violence and police brutality, but it is affected by a lack of character development and a regular narrative that seems to repeat itself like a crime wave in the favelas. [Full review in Spanish]

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

01/13/2009

6/10

A satisfactory enough cop movie, but not one that people will still be name checking years hence

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Guilherme M

Nov 16

There is one thing that the critics of this movie don't know: they aren't brazillian. This is a brazillian movie, made from brazillian people, for brazillian people, for only brazillian people that know how the police and the drug traffickers works in BRAZIL. The movie depicts BOPE, the elite police squad from Brazil, that does their job: stop banditry. Classic must-see for brazillians, never dissapoints.

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Lucas Z

Nov 14

O mais legal é depois de quase 20 anos ler as criticas dos críticos "especializados" falando que o filme é fraco e vai ser esquecido. Vocês erraram feio, o filme virou um ícone no país, as falas são icônicas e levantou debates que duram até hoje. Ja esses críticos acho que ninguém se lembra mais, passaram vergonha.

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Ricardo B

Nov 9

Esse é um filme profundamente intrínseco à realidade cultural, social, econômica e política do seu país de origem. Para quem não é brasileiro, "Tropa de Elite" pode parecer um filme gratuitamente violento e marcado por morais ambíguas e questionáveis. Para quem é brasileiro, é um retrato brutalmente realista das relações de poder e opressão entre os órgãos de segurança pública e as classe sociais menos afortunadas, assim como da enraizada e incurável corrupção daqueles que juraram nos proteger.

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Maria Eduarda

Sep 22

Ótimo filme! Mostra uma realidade que, infelizmente, é real.

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Marlene A

Sep 17

I truly believe that non-Brazilians might miss out on the full depth of this film. It serves as a powerful lens into the grim realities of police corruption and brutality, alongside the staggering issues of drug trafficking that plague the impoverished communities of Rio de Janeiro. The acting is nothing short of exceptional, drawing you in and making every moment feel raw and authentic. And for anyone searching for a moral in the story, let me clarify: there isn't one—this is simply the harsh reality of life for many.

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The K

Aug 10

An absolutely accurate representation of reality in Brazil! This is a masterpiece of Brazilian pop culture.

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José Padilha

Director

Wagner Moura

Captain Nascimento

André Ramiro

André Matias

Caio Junqueira

Neto

Milhem Cortaz

Captain Fábio

Fernanda Machado

Maria

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Synopsis

The captain (Wagner Moura) of a special Brazilian police force considers which of two new recruits (André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira) would make a suitable successor.

Director: José Padilha
Producer: Marcos Prado, José Padilha
Screenwriter: José Padilha, Rodrigo Pimentel, Bráulio Mantovani, André Batista, Rodrigo Pimentel
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Estúdios Mega, Weinstein Company, Zazen Producoes, Quanta Centro de Produções
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Drug Content|Strong Violence)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.1K
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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