TIFF 2021: 7 Prisoners
tiff 2021As a filmmaker, Alexandre Moratto was largely introduced to the world with his feature-length directorial debut Sócrates once it received 3-nominations at the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards, including a win for the Kiehl's Someone to Watch Award. A powerful meditation on both sexuality and financial struggles, Sócrates proved that there was potential for Moratto as a filmmaker but never fully reached its full potential. A couple of years later and Moratto is back once again in the director's chair with 7 Prisoners. Telling a thrilling story of modern slavery and the exploitation of desperate young men in Brazil, Alexandre Moratto lives up to the potential he showed within Sócrates, crafting one of the best films of the year.
Screening as part of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, 7 Prisoners is a complex and brooding feature that forcefully drags audiences to the edge of their seats before flooring them with a rather twisted narrative that both shocks and challenges. The film is rather slow in its setup; it is unclear what is happening and slowly the consequences grow more and more real. Even as it is revealed that these boys are in a bad situation, the true dangers of it are not immediately apparent but soon are realised. The audience will be shocked and immediately begin to empathise with these characters, which is where the layers of the film are exposed.
Alexandre Moratto is not the only one to have evolved from Sócrates, Christian Malheiros also returns for his sophomore feature after making his acting debut in Sócrates and has brought a shocking maturity and intensity to his character, who ultimately is the heart and soul of the film. While Rodrigo Santoro is undeniable in his more aggressive supporting role, it is Malheiros who feels the most haunting. As a result of his survival instinct in the face of the abuse and trauma put against him, Malheiros' character named Mateus undergoes a forced metamorphosis that is uncomfortable and challenging. It is almost scary that so early into his career, with such little experience, Malheiros can be so haunting and crafted – yet the young actor knocks it out of the park with one of the best performances of the year. While one wants to root for Mateus, he has to sell his own morals out for survival, leaving the audience conflicted and troubled. There are no easy answers within 7 Prisoners but rather unclear morals that the audience has to wrestle with on their own. While this might lead to a challenging experience, it also feels worthwhile and memorable in the best of ways.
Not only does the film work from a thematic standpoint but it also is worth mentioning that the project is rather important in its voice. Though ultimately a tragic character study, 7 Prisoners shines a light on the world of modern slavery which needs to be seen and talked about. It is, sadly, easy to turn a blind eye to the topic and not understand how it could even exist in the modern world, but the grim truth is that it does and 7 Prisoners gives a rather undeniable look at the horrors of it. While this is another aspect of the film that is not necessarily enjoyable or fun, it only adds to the layers of the feature and cements its status as being a must-watch.
Especially considering it will be easily accessible on Netflix, 7 Prisoners is a film that everyone should make time for – even during a busy awards season. The film feels like a near-modern-masterpiece, with both Alexandre Moratto and Christian Malheiros cementing themselves as two of the strongest voices working in film today, both off and on camera respectfully. The film is horrifying and challenging in the best of ways, leaving the audience with plenty to chew on. It is important and skilled, truly becoming one of the strongest films of the year and deserving all the praise in the world.
