Apocalypse in the Tropics trailer debuts ahead of July Netflix release, diving into Brazil’s battle between prophecy, power, and democracy.
Apocalypse in the Tropics, the latest film from Academy Award nominee Petra Costa, has unveiled its official trailer ahead of its theatrical release on July 11, 2025, and global debut on Netflix on July 14. The gripping documentary has already made waves as an official selection at top-tier festivals including Venice, New York, Telluride, São Paulo, IDFA, San Sebastian, CPH:DOX, HotDocs Toronto, and Sheffield, with wins at Montclair and Havana.
Best known for The Edge of Democracy, Costa returns with her most urgent and haunting work to date. Apocalypse in the Tropics chronicles a decade of spiritual and political unrest in Brazil, exploring how religion and authoritarianism collide to test the limits of democracy.
The documentary follows Costa on an investigative journey that begins as a meditation on the fragility of democratic institutions and quickly deepens into a chilling examination of how faith, power, and prophecy intertwine to reshape an entire nation. With extraordinary access to key political figures — including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former President Jair Bolsonaro, and influential televangelist Silas Malafaia — Costa builds an unflinching portrait of a country in crisis.
Visually poetic and politically potent, the film asks a provocative question: When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin?
Produced and co-written by Alessandra Orofino, Apocalypse in the Tropics boasts an impressive list of executive producers including Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Jeffrey Lurie, and Brad Pitt, among others.
As religion shifts from private refuge to public battleground, Apocalypse in the Tropics presents Brazil as a cautionary tale — and a reflection of global democratic vulnerabilities.
Watch the official trailer is now below and find out more at Netflix.com/ApocalypseInTheTropics.
