A Dog's Will

In northeastern Brazil in the 1930s, two poor men, João Grilo and Chicó, run schemes to survive. The tricks, from talking a priest into blessing a dog to staging romantic rivalries, stop when real bandits raid the town. Both are killed and put on trial before a divine court. Guel Arraes directed, from Ariano Suassuna's play of the same name, with a screenplay by Adriana Falcão, Guel Arraes and João Falcão. Matheus Nachtergaele and Selton Mello lead, with Fernanda Montenegro as the Virgin Mary. It was both a critical and a commercial success in Brazil, taking four awards at the 2nd Grande Prêmio Cinema Brasil and grossing around 11.5 million reais. A sequel, O Auto da Compadecida 2, opened in December 2024 and reunited the original leads. Who it is for: viewers curious about Brazilian popular cinema and folk storytelling. Who it is not for: anyone uncomfortable with religious comedy. The last section is a trial scene with Jesus and the Devil judging on screen.