Movies Similar to Maria Bonita, Rainha do Cangaço

The Bandit(1953)

In the time of the "cangaceiros" in the badlands of the Northeast of Brazil, the cruel Captain Galdino Ferreira and his band abduct the schoolteacher Olívia, expecting to receive a ransom for her. However, one of his men, Teodoro, falls in love and flees with her through the arid backcountry chased by the brigands.

O Cangaceiro(1997)

This is a remake of Brazil's first international success in the cinema world. Just as its same name predecessor was, this film is a fictional version of the story of the "cangaceiros." These were bandits who sacked towns and spread terror throughout Northeastern Brazil in the 1930s. This group of outlaws is led by Captain Galdino and his wife Maria Bonita.

Perfumed Ball(1997)

A Lebanese photographer living in Brazil in the '30s manages to film the band of Lampião, a legendary Brazilian bandit.

Quelé do Pajeú(1969)

A man seeks revenge after his sister get raped by an unknown foreign, identified only by scar and a missing finger. But his payback journey is a long way and bears its surprises.

O Cabeleira(1963)

Based on the novel by Franklin Távora, the film follows the adventures of a father and a son in 18th century Brazil.

Viva Cangaceiro(1969)

Brazil, the 1920s. The sadistic colonel Minas massacres the hometown of a famous cangaceiro (a kind of revolutionary bandit). The only survivor is a young farmer called Espedito; he is nursed back to health by a hermit who thinks he has been sent by God and therefore baptizes him the Redeemer. Espedito/The Redeemer forms his own gang of cangaceiros but doesn’t really understand what he’s doing until he befriends the proverbial European intellectual, a Dutch Oil prospector, who introduces him to important people. Espedito is hired by the Dutchman and a corrupt local governor, but then the Dutchman changes sides …

Bruce Lee Versus Gay Power(1975)

'Bruce' goes to head with bandits who are terrorising and murdering villagers.

Memória do Cangaço(1964)

The origins of "cangaço", armed brigands in the Northeast between 1935 and 1939, interviews with some survivors of the fighting, police and outlaws movement. Interspersed with testimonials, authentic sequences of films made in 1936 by Benjamin Abraham, an Arab peddler who managed to film the famous band of Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, the "Lampião".

Cangaceiros de Lampião(1967)

On the day of Pedro Boiadeiro's wedding, a band of cangaceiros who survived the Angicos massacre invade his home, then proceed to beat him up, and abuse and murder his wife. Pedro sets out to get revenge on each one.

The Godless Bandit(1970)

After the proclamation of the Republic, a group of fanatics in the sertão dreamed of and fought for the restoration of the Monarchy. At that bloody time, Fabiano, a quiet boy, becomes a cangaceiro and is attacked by the police. Although wounded, he manages to take refuge on a farm where he is hidden in by Lúcia, the farmer's daughter, with whom he falls in love.

Aroeira(2016)

O Último Dia de Lampião(1975)

A docufiction film about the fall of Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, widely known as Lampião – the mythical bandit leader from the Brazilian northeast who fought the local power and put his name in history.

Lampião, o Rei do Cangaço(1937)

Zé de Julião, Muito Além do Cangaço(2016)

Sisters and Neighbors!(2024)

The story of Germaine Lauzon, a housewife who wins a million stamps which, she believes, will allow her access to happiness and a new world that she has dreamed of for so long. But her joy will make some people jealous...

Waiting for the Storms(2025)

Across various timelines and locations, the fates of four characters intertwine as they struggle to find connections and meaning in a world transformed by climate change.

Universal Language(2024)

Winter. Somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg. Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen deep within the sidewalk ice and try to find a way to get it out. Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists upon an increasingly-strange walking tour of Winnipeg historic sites. Matthew leaves his job at the Québec government and embarks upon a mysterious journey to visit his estranged mother.

Belgi(2020)

Microwave(2023)

After a time-rift offers a glimpse exactly one minute into the future, four college-bound kids try to salvage their failing friendship as their perception of free will begins to fall apart.