7 Prisoners review – a powerful tale of slavery in modern-day São Paulo

An impoverished teen seeks to escape the clutches of a human trafficker in Alexandre Moratto's complex drama

Brazilian director Alexandre Moratto's follow-up to his award-winning debut Socrates, 7 Prisoners delves into the subject of modern slavery through the eyes of 18-year-old Mateus (Christian Malheiros, excellent). In order to support his family, Mateus takes a job in the city, but finds himself imprisoned and working off a seemingly endless debt to his employer (Rodrigo Santoro). His initial reaction is desperation and anger, but Mateus is smart and negotiates with his captor on behalf of his fellow workers. The rather on-the-nose storytelling grows increasingly complex and interesting the further that the protagonist ventures into morally ambiguous territory.

In cinemas and on Netflix from 11 November