The Riverbank

10/21/2026

It might seem unlikely that one can appreciate a film but simultaneously have troubling issues with it. So it is for the debut feature from the writer-director duo of Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias, a tension-filled LGBTQ+ thriller that also sports narrative content with an array of dubious themes. In the Brazilian city of Recife, known for its rivers and mangroves, the thick, lush woodlands on its waterfront are a prime spot for gay men to seek late night anonymous sexual encounters, despite the inherent dangers and sordid conditions involved. Yet, those circumstances aside, this cruising spot is one of the favorites of Izaquiel (Caique Copque), a janitor by day and serial erotic tracker by night. On one of his visits, he encounters Jeremias (Ítalos Martins), an enigmatic, chiseled fis