Overview
A gripping tale of resistance and sacrifice unfolds against a backdrop of tyranny.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- melancholic
- morally ambiguous
- political cinema night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found it a tense but uneasy political thriller whose humanizing approach is complicated by historical fictionalization and an ambivalent treatment of terrorism.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fernando's political actions are filtered through the emotional distance between his militant youth and his later inability to fully understand that certainty.
The kidnapping and prisoner exchange are treated as both an urgent challenge to dictatorship and an ethically troubling act of terrorism.
The ambassador, student militants, and political prisoners are developed as people within the kidnapping rather than reduced to opposing political symbols.
The film fictionalizes Brazilian dictatorship-era events and frames them through a middle-aged perspective that questions remembered political convictions.
Films like Four Days in September, and why
The Year of Living Dangerously
political thriller tension, revolutionary idealism, and moral ambiguity surrounding armed resistance
The Battle of Algiers
historical political drama examining ideological violence, state repression, and compromised idealism
Munich
hostage crisis thriller focused on political negotiation, terrorism, and the humanization of opposing sides
The Baader Meinhof Complex
tense historical drama about political violence, radicalization, and the consequences of militant action
Movie Details
- Director
- Bruno Barreto
- Release Date
- 1997-10-01
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (145)
Cast
- Alan Arkin
- Pedro Cardoso
- Fernanda Torres
- Luiz Fernando Guimarães
- Cláudia Abreu
- Nelson Dantas
- Matheus Nachtergaele
- Marco Ricca
- Maurício Gonçalves
- Caio Junqueira
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Four Days in September about?
- A politically charged Brazilian hostage thriller follows young militants whose attempt to challenge dictatorship exposes the human cost and moral confusion of revolutionary violence.
- What is Four Days in September like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Four Days in September as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Four Days in September violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Four Days in September as moderate.
- What did critics think of Four Days in September?
- Critics broadly found it a tense but uneasy political thriller whose humanizing approach is complicated by historical fictionalization and an ambivalent treatment of terrorism.
- Which films are like Four Days in September?
- Films with a similar feel include The Year of Living Dangerously, The Battle of Algiers, Munich, and The Baader Meinhof Complex.
- How long is Four Days in September?
- Four Days in September runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Four Days in September?
- In United States, Four Days in September is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
