Movies Like Carnaval (1990)

Carnaval is a 1990 drama film from Arnaldo Jabor. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Rio and City of God.

Drama

Rio

2011

Captured by smugglers when he was just a hatchling, a macaw named Blu never learned to fly and lives a happily domesticated life in Minnesota with his human friend, Linda. Blu is thought to be the last of his kind, but when word comes that Jewel, a lone female, lives in Rio de Janeiro, Blu and Linda go to meet her. Animal smugglers kidnap Blu and Jewel, but the pair soon escape and begin a perilous adventure back to freedom -- and Linda.

6.8

MagicScore

City of God

2002

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

8.4

MagicScore

Central Station

1998

An emotional journey of a former school teacher, who writes letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died, as they search for the father he never knew.

8.1

MagicScore

Vitória

2025

Nina is an elderly woman who lives alone and feels distressed by the increasing violence in her neighborhood. Amidst conflicts with her neighbors, she decides to film the movement of drug traffickers from her window, hoping to assist the police. After months of recording suspicious activities, her initiative attracts the attention of a journalist, who approaches Nina and offers to support her in her mission.

8.1

MagicScore

Elite Squad

2007

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.

8.1

MagicScore

I'm Still Here

2024

A woman married to a former politician during the 1971 military dictatorship in Brazil is forced to reinvent herself and chart a new course for her family after a violent and arbitrary act.

8.0

MagicScore

Invisible Life

2019

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1950. In the conservative home of the Gusmão family, Eurídice and Guida are two inseparable sisters who support each other. While Guida can share with her younger sister the details of her romantic adventures, Eurídice finds in her older sister the encouragement she needs to pursue her dream of becoming a professional pianist.

7.8

MagicScore

Just Another Christmas

2020

After taking a very nasty fall on Christmas Eve, grinchy Jorge blacks out and wakes up one year later, with no memory of the year that has passed. He soon realizes that he’s doomed to keep waking up on Christmas Eve after Christmas Eve, having to deal with the aftermath of what his other self has done the other 364 days of the year.

7.3

MagicScore

Trash

2014

Set in Brazil, three kids who make a discovery in a garbage dump soon find themselves running from the cops and trying to right a terrible wrong.

7.1

MagicScore

#10

City of Men

2007

Best buddies Acerola and Laranjinha, about to turn 18, discover things about their missing fathers' pasts which will shatter their solid friendship, in the middle of a war between rival drug gangs from Rio's favelas.

7.0

MagicScore

#11

Black Orpheus

1959

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

The Middle of the World

2003

Romão, illiterate and unemployed, feels destiny drawing him on an odyssey to Rio de Janeiro in pursuit of a job and a decent life. A family of seven journeys 2,000 miles across the hinterlands of Brazil on bicycles. Along the way, the story explores the inner dynamics of a family facing a great challenge with the courage to pursue dreams.

6.6

MagicScore

#13

From Beginning to End

2009

Two brothers develop a very close relationship as they are growing up in an idyllic and happy family. When they are young adults their relationship becomes very intimate, romantic, and sexual.

6.6

MagicScore

#14

Air Bridge

2015

Bruno and Amanda have to face the difficulties of a long distance relationship after meeting in a flight forced into an emergency landing.

6.3

MagicScore

#15

The Cold Front Brought by the Rain

2016

A group of playboys organizes the last party of the year in a slum before the change in weather. And for this night, beyond the usual drugs, alcohol and sex, they will receive special guests: an addict that uses and is used by the group, a country singer who was raised around the slum, a strange security guard and the owner of the place.

5.7

MagicScore

#16

Night Flight

1933

Story of South American mail pilots, and the dangers they face flying at night.

5.6

MagicScore

#17

Chica de Río

2001

Discovering your wife is sleeping with your boss can make a man do strange things. For a Samba-obsessed London clerk, robbing a bank and boarding the first flight to Rio are just the beginning.

5.5

MagicScore

#18

Wild Orchid

1989

A woman lawyer becomes mesmerized by a self-made millionaire during an encounter in Rio setting off a series of erotic encounters.

5.2

MagicScore

#19

Rio, I Love You

2014

The third episode of the Cities of Love franchise, Rio, I Love You is an anthology, created by 10 visionary directors from across the globe. The story line of each segment focuses on an encounter of love in a different neighborhood of the city, demonstrating the distinctive qualities and character of that location. The film serves to bridge gaps between cultures, educating and entertaining the audience, while celebrating unique and universal expressions of love.

4.8

MagicScore

#20

Emmanuelle 4

1984

In order to escape from her former lover Marc, Sylvia goes to Brazil where Dr. Santamo transforms her into the beautiful Emmanuelle...

4.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Carnaval?

The top films similar to Carnaval by MovieMagicScore are Rio (6.8), City of God (8.4), Central Station (8.1). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Carnaval worth watching?

Carnaval hasn't gathered enough viewer ratings yet to earn a MovieMagicScore. Rate it on MovieMagicScore to help build its score.

What kind of movie is Carnaval?

Carnaval (1990) is a drama film directed by Arnaldo Jabor, starring Grace de Capitani, Ricardo Petráglia, Marcos Palmeira.

Where can I find more recommendations like Carnaval?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Rio Movies like City of God Movies like Central Station Movies like Vitória Movies like Elite Squad Movies like I'm Still Here

About movies like Carnaval

This ranked list pairs Carnaval (1990), a drama film from Arnaldo Jabor, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Grace de Capitani take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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