Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Bacurau (2020) movie poster

Timeline

Bacurau (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 131 min · Portuguese
Echo score 80
JustWatch #9,005 16
Directed by
Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Starring
Jonny Mars, Rubens Santos, Thardelly Lima, Alli Willow, Antonio Saboia, Barbara Colen
Budget
$7.7M

In a remote Brazilian town, the community mourns the loss of their matriarch. Soon after, they discover their village has disappeared from all maps and is under surveillance by a mysterious drone. A group of ruthless mercenaries appears, seeking to drive the residents out. The townspeople are forced to unite and fight back against the invaders in a fierce and unexpected struggle for their survival and the preservation of their way of life.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Bacurau
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Bacurau (2020)

Where can you watch Bacurau? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Kino Film Collection, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

15 events in order · contains spoilers

Bacurau Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Bacurau (2020) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Carmelita's Funeral

    The residents of Bacurau gather to mourn Carmelita, an esteemed elder who is considered the heart of their village. Her passing marks a significant loss for the community, bringing together family and friends, including her granddaughter Teresa, who has returned home after years away.

    Where
    Bacurau
  2. Teresa Delivers Medicine

    In addition to attending the funeral, Teresa arrives in Bacurau to deliver essential medicine to her family. Her visit is overshadowed by an impending sense of unease as unsettling events begin to unfold in the village.

    Where
    Bacurau
  3. Mysterious Events Begin

    As the residents mourn, they notice strange occurrences affecting their village. Bacurau mysteriously vanishes from digital maps, and mobile networks fail, increasing the anxiety among the townspeople, who feel increasingly isolated.

    Where
    Bacurau
  4. UFO-like Drone Sighting

    The residents are alarmed by the sighting of a UFO-like drone hovering above the village. This event adds to the mounting paranoia in Bacurau, as locals wonder about the intentions behind this peculiar surveillance.

    Where
    Bacurau
  5. Mayor Tony Junior's Arrival

    Tony Junior, the town's corrupt mayor, arrives in Bacurau with spoiled food and tattered books, pretending to offer aid. His arrival incites distrust among the townsfolk, who are wary of his motives as he exacerbates the ongoing water crisis.

    Where
    Bacurau
  6. Water Crisis Escalates

    The townspeople are left parched as the mayor's promises of relief remain unfulfilled. When a water tanker finally arrives, panic ensues as the truck is revealed to be filled with bullets instead of water, devastating the already desperate residents.

    Where
    Bacurau
  7. Stampede of Horses

    A stampede of horses disrupts the town, creating chaos and fear among the locals. In their quest for answers, two men venture to a nearby farm, only to discover that the family there has been brutally murdered.

    Where
    Nearby Farm
  8. Violence Escalates

    The two local men, investigating the murders, meet a tragic fate at the hands of the wandering motorcyclists. This increase in violence plunges Bacurau deeper into despair as residents grapple with the dire situation.

    Where
    Bacurau
  9. Foreigners Arrive

    A group of predominantly American foreigners, led by the seasoned German expatriate Michael, arrives in Bacurau. They engage in a perverse competition, aiming to rack up points by eliminating the village's residents.

    Where
    Bacurau
  10. Locals Prepare for Defense

    With the threat of violence looming, former lover Pacote teams up with revolutionary Lunga to rally the townspeople. They prepare to defend their home against the brutal intruders as fear and anger mount within the community.

    Where
    Bacurau
  11. Tragic Death of a Local Boy

    The violence peaks tragically when a nine-year-old boy is killed amidst the chaos. His death prompts the community to unite and prepare for retaliation against the hunters who have disrupted their lives.

    Where
    Bacurau
  12. Reversal of Fortune

    As dawn breaks, the tables turn unexpectedly as the foreigners find themselves outmatched and begin to fall one by one. The locals, fueled by their desire to protect their home, gain the upper hand in this brutal struggle.

    Where
    Bacurau
  13. Michael's Capture

    The final survivor, Michael, faces a grim fate as he is captured by the townspeople after his efforts to hunt them down fail. His realization of being outsmarted sends chills through him as he grapples with the consequences of his actions.

    Where
    Bacurau
  14. Tony Junior's Betrayal

    In a shocking twist, Tony Junior arrives in a luxury minibus to reclaim the foreigners. However, upon witnessing the townspeople's victory, he pretends ignorance of their fate, revealing his true nature as a coward.

    Where
    Bacurau
  15. Final Justice

    The story culminates in a fitting act of justice as Michael is buried alive, screaming in despair. Meanwhile, Tony Junior is left to face disgrace in the desert, symbolizing the community's triumph over oppression and a fierce fight for survival.

    Where
    Desert near Bacurau

Last updated: November 16, 2024 at 17:42

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Bacurau Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Bacurau (2020): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Bacurau vanish from digital maps and phone networks?

The erasure from digital maps and the network blackout are part of the foreigners' preparation for their hunt. This isolation prevents the outside world from knowing what's happening in Bacurau, ensuring the residents cannot call for help and making the massacre appear invisible to authorities.

  • map erasure
  • phone networks
  • hunt preparation
  • isolation
Q2

Why does Mayor Tony Junior bring spoiled food during a water crisis?

Tony Junior is a corrupt politician who exploits Bacurau for his own gain. He uses the crisis as political leverage, arriving with useless spoiled food and tattered books while deliberately withholding water to manipulate the townspeople ahead of an upcoming election.

  • tony junior
  • corrupt mayor
  • water crisis
  • politician
  • exploitation
Q3

Why are the foreigners hunting residents and keeping score?

The group of foreigners, led by Michael, treat the massacre as a perverse game with a points system. This reflects their dehumanized view of the residents, they see the locals as targets in a competition rather than as human beings, revealing the film's critique of colonialist attitudes and violence as entertainment.

  • michael
  • hunters
  • points competition
  • foreigners
  • game
  • colonialism
Q4

Who is Lunga and why is he in hiding?

Lunga is a revolutionary who has been sheltered by the Bacurau community. His presence explains why the foreigners target the village, Lunga's political activities have drawn unwanted attention, making Bacurau a target for the violent retribution that follows.

  • lunga
  • revolutionary
  • hidden
  • residents shelter
Q5

What causes the stampede of horses in Bacurau?

The horse stampede is deliberately caused by the motorcyclists as part of the escalating violence. This chaotic event draws two local men to investigate the nearby farm, where they discover the murdered family and then become victims themselves.

  • horse stampede
  • murder farm
  • motorcyclists
  • trap
Q6

How do the townspeople manage to defeat the armed foreigners?

The locals rally together under Pacote and Lunga's leadership, using their intimate knowledge of the terrain to ambush the foreigners. What begins as a hunt turns into guerrilla warfare, with the residents exploiting the foreigners' arrogance and unfamiliarity with Bacurau's landscape.

  • pacote
  • locals fight back
  • ambush
  • terrain advantage
  • reversal
Q7

What happens to Michael at the end of the movie?

Michael is the only foreigner who survives and is captured by the townspeople. He is buried alive in a powerful act of poetic justice, screaming that "this is only the beginning", a chilling warning that the conflict and resistance are far from over.

  • michael captured
  • buried alive
  • final fate
  • poetic justice
Q8

Why does Tony Junior pretend not to know the foreigners?

Tony Junior arrives in a luxury minibus to extract the foreigners, revealing his complicity in the plot. When he sees the townspeople have won, he cowardly pretends ignorance of their activities to avoid accountability, demonstrating his treachery and self-serving nature.

  • tony junior
  • betrayal
  • cowardice
  • luxury minibus
  • complicity
Q9

What is the purpose of the UFO-like drone hovering over Bacurau?

The drone serves as surveillance for the incoming foreigners, allowing them to monitor the village and coordinate their attack. This sci-fi element adds to the dystopian atmosphere, showing how technology is weaponized against the community.

  • drone
  • surveillance
  • ufo
  • dystopian
  • technology
Q10

What is Teresa's purpose in returning to Bacurau?

Teresa returns home for two reasons: to attend her grandmother Carmelita's funeral and to deliver essential medicine to her family. Her presence represents the connection between the older generation and those who left, and her medical knowledge likely helps the community during the conflict.

  • teresa
  • granddaughter
  • medicine
  • funeral
  • carmelita
Q11

Why is the water tanker filled with bullets instead of water?

The water tanker containing bullets instead of water symbolizes the systematic weaponization of resources against Bacurau. This act, orchestrated by those complicit in the foreigners' mission, deepens the desperation and shows the villagers that they are being deliberately starved and set up for violence.

  • water tanker
  • bullets
  • weaponized resources
  • sabotage
Q12

Why is the death of the nine-year-old boy significant?

The tragic death of a child during the violence becomes the turning point that unites the community against the hunters. This devastating loss fuels the locals' resolve to fight back and transforms the conflict from survival into a righteous defense of their home and future.

  • child death
  • tragedy
  • motivation
  • turning point
  • victims

Movie threads

More Movies Like Bacurau, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Bacurau tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about collective resistance like Bacurau

Stories where a tight-knit community bands together against overwhelming external threats. If you liked the fierce community struggle in Bacurau, explore more movies where a united group fights back against oppression. These films often blend thriller, action, and drama, showcasing the power of solidarity in the face of existential threats.

  • tense
  • urgent
  • resilient
  • vengeful
  • unsettling
  • oppressive
  • Tone: tense, urgent, vengeful
  • Pacing: variable, building to fast-paced conflict
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins by establishing the community's daily life and social bonds, which are then shattered by an invasion or systematic attack. The story follows the group's journey from shock and fear to organized resistance, often culminating in a violent, climactic confrontation where the underdogs use their intimate knowledge of the environment to their advantage.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core theme of collective empowerment against oppression. They feature a similar emotional arc from vulnerability to defiant resistance, a tense and urgent tone, and often a bittersweet victory earned through significant loss.

Hunter becomes hunted thrillers like Bacurau

Narratives where arrogant predators are outsmarted and overpowered by their intended prey. For viewers who enjoyed the satisfying table-turning in Bacurau, this list features similar movies where the hunters become the hunted. These stories deliver a cathartic payoff as the oppressed outmaneuver their aggressors in tense, often brutal, survival scenarios.

  • tense
  • vengeful
  • brutal
  • unsettling
  • paranoid
  • cathartic
  • Tone: tense, dark, vengeful
  • Pacing: variable, slow build to explosive action
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The pattern involves a clear power imbalance established early on, with a ruthless group hunting a seemingly vulnerable one. A key event, often a moral line crossed by the hunters, ignites a fierce retaliation. The narrative then shifts perspective, focusing on the methodical and clever ways the prey turns the hunters' arrogance against them, leading to a climactic and visceral counter-attack.

Why they belong together: These films share a core narrative structure and emotional payoff: the catharsis of seeing the powerful humbled. They create a tense, paranoid mood that erupts into vengeful action, driven by themes of justice, survival, and the failure of colonial or exploitative mindsets.

If you liked this

Movies Like Bacurau

Similar movies to Bacurau: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Bacurau (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Bacurau in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app