MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Elite Squad

Elite Squad

2007 · 115 min

A brutal, unflinching descent into corruption and violence that grips you with relentless tension and moral ambiguity.

Tagline
On the streets of Rio only the elite survive
Overview
In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing
relentless, 4 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • corruption
  • violence
  • power
  • justice
  • betrayal
Places
  • big city
  • small town
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore strong
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action7
Horror4
Humour2
Realism9
Romance2
Tension8
Darkness9
Complexity7
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like Elite Squad

Movie

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

2010

A grim, tense plunge into systemic corruption, leaving you angry and unsettled long after.

Same writer: José Padilha · Dark, tense · about corruption and violence · nonlinear

Also
Same writer: José Padilha
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details In your watch list
Elite Squad: The Enemy WithinHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

City of God

2002

A dizzying, sun-scorched plunge into a violent favela underworld, told with restless energy and a cold, cumulative sense of doom.

Same writer: Bráulio Mantovani · Dark, tense · about corruption and violence · nonlinear

Also
Same writer: Bráulio Mantovani
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
129 min
Details In your watch list
City of GodHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Training Day

2001

A sweaty, nerve-jangling ride through LA's underworld that keeps you tense and morally off-balance from start to finish.

Dark, tense, relentless · about corruption and power

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • power
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details In your watch list
Training DayHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Narcos

2015–2017

A tense, sprawling plunge into cartel warfare that keeps you gripped with its ruthless escalation and documentary-like sweep.

Same director: José Padilha · Dark, tense · about corruption and violence

Also
Same director: José Padilha
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • violence
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
3
Details In your watch list
NarcosHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Shield

2002–2008

A gritty, morally complex ride that keeps you on edge with its raw tension and flawed characters.

Dark, tense, relentless · about corruption and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
Pacing
relentless
Attention
demanding
Seasons
7
Details In your watch list
The ShieldHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Sicario

2015

A relentless descent into moral ambiguity, suffocating tension, and grim procedural detail that leaves you shaken.

Dark, tense · about corruption and violence

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • violence
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
122 min
Details In your watch list
SicarioHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Mechanism

2018–2019

A tense, intricate procedural that pulls you into a sprawling corruption case, feeling both realistic and dramatically charged.

Same writer: José Padilha · Dark, tense · about corruption and power

Also
Same writer: José Padilha
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • power
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details In your watch list
The MechanismHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Gajab Raat

2026

A sweaty, restless night that tightens around a flawed cop as mercy drags him deeper into danger.

Dark, tense · about corruption

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
124 min
Details In your watch list
Gajab RaatHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Furious

2026

A brutal, propulsive fight film that keeps you clenched and exhausted, with raw emotion under the bone-crunching choreography.

Dark, tense, relentless · about corruption and justice

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • justice
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details In your watch list
The FuriousHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Nightcrawler

2014

A cold, queasy plunge into LA nightlife, watching a hollow man turn human suffering into product with unnerving calm.

Dark, tense · about corruption · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
118 min
Details In your watch list
NightcrawlerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hard Boiled

1992

A blistering, operatic shoot-'em-up that sweeps you into relentless gunfights and unlikely brotherhood, leaving you exhilarated and bruised.

Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and justice · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • violence
  • justice
  • nonlinear
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
126 min
Details In your watch list
Hard BoiledHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

La Haine

1995

A raw, tense day-in-the-life that simmers with anger and despair, pulling you into its restless, volatile world.

Dark, tense · about violence · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
98 min
Details In your watch list
La HaineHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, action, crime
Directed by
José Padilha
Written by
Bráulio Mantovani, José Padilha, Rodrigo Pimentel
Starring
Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Milhem Cortaz, Fernanda Machado, Maria Ribeiro, Paulo Vilela, Fernanda de Freitas
Music
Pedro Bromfman
Cinematography
Lula Carvalho
Runtime
115 min
Country
Brazil
Languages
Portuguese

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.