In a dystopian future, the residents of Bacurau, a struggling rural community in the fictional Serra Verde of western Pernambuco, come together to mourn the loss of Carmelita, an esteemed elder regarded as the heart of their village. Her granddaughter, Teresa, returns home after years away not just for the funeral, but also to deliver essential medicine to her family. However, as the days unfold, Bacurau is thrust into a series of peculiar and unsettling occurrences. The village mysteriously vanishes from digital maps, mobile networks fail, and residents are alarmed by the sighting of a UFO-like drone. Adding to the intrigue, a pair of motorcyclists from southern Brazil stroll through town.
Amidst these strange happenings, a corrosive dispute brews over local water rights, exacerbated by the corrupt actions of the town's mayor, Tony Junior, who seeks to manipulate the townsfolk ahead of an upcoming election. He arrives in Bacurau bearing spoiled food and tattered books, yet he leaves the community parched and distraught amidst a water crisis. The townspeople, not wanting to encounter him, take cover. Eventually, a water tanker arrives, but panic ensues when it’s discovered to be filled with bullets rather than the promised relief.
The tension escalates dramatically when a stampede of horses disrupts the town. In their desperation to uncover the cause, two local men venture to a nearby farm, only to find the family there brutally murdered. Their incidence of violence takes a dark turn when they are also killed, this time at the hands of the wandering motorcyclists. This couple soon aligns with a group of predominantly American foreigners led by Michael, a seasoned German expatriate with a lengthy history in the U.S. The group becomes embroiled in a perverse competition, believing they must rack up “points” by eliminating the residents of Bacurau.
As the foreigners ramp up their hunt, they become not just the hunters but also the hunted. Pacote, a former lover of Teresa, seeks out Lunga, a revolutionary who’s been sheltered by the locals. Together, they rally the townspeople to defend their lives against the brutal intruders. The situation reaches a tragic climax when a nine-year-old boy falls victim to the violence, as the locals gear up for retaliation.
What follows is a stunning reversal of fortune. As the morning dawns, the tables turn; the once-cocky foreigners find themselves outmatched and killed one by one. The only survivor, Michael, faces a fate worse than death as he is captured. In a final act of treachery, Tony Junior arrives in a luxury minibus to retrieve the foreigners but, upon witnessing the townspeople’s victory, pretends to be unaware of them. In a fitting twist of fate, the mayor is condemned to die disgracefully in the desert, while Michael is interred alive, screaming in despair, > “this is only the beginning.” This chilling ending serves as a haunting reminder of the fierce fight for survival and identity that Bacurau has endured.
