Hey there, MovieBuzzers! Today, we are strapping in and taking a trip down a very specific, deeply intriguing cinematic rabbit hole.
If your watchlist is currently clogged with bloated three-hour superhero epics and endless franchise reboots, we have the ultimate palate cleanser for you. Let’s talk about Pluto-and no, we aren't talking about the icy dwarf planet or Mickey Mouse’s faithful canine companion. We are talking about the ultra-niche, highly provocative 2015 Brazilian short film that has lingered in the corners of underground queer cinema for over a decade.
If you like your movies short, strange, and unapologetically bold, keep reading. Here is everything you need to know about this fascinating 13-minute curiosity.
Release Date & Where to Watch
Pluto originally made its quiet debut on November 21, 2015. Because it is a bite-sized, 13-minute short film rather than a massive theatrical release, you won't find it playing at your local multiplex next to the latest summer blockbuster.
Instead, tracking down Pluto is a bit of a cinephile’s treasure hunt. Underground shorts like this typically make the rounds at international LGBTQ+ film festivals before finding a semi-permanent home on specialized queer streaming platforms (think Dekkoo or Revry), indie-centric channels, or Vimeo archives. If you are looking to add something truly offbeat to your letterboxd diary, keeping an eye on indie streaming curation sites is your best bet to catch this elusive slice of Brazilian fantasy.
Cast & Crew
Behind the camera of this intriguing project is director Daniel Nolasco. For those in the know, Nolasco is a filmmaker who isn't afraid to push boundaries, frequently exploring themes of masculinity, queer desire, and pop culture with a highly stylized, often dreamlike visual palette.
The cast of Pluto is an ensemble that brings a gritty, authentic energy to the screen. Uniquely, the film utilizes a dual-narration style, featuring both Geovaldo Souza and Bernardo Florin as Narrators. Sharing the screen and guiding us through this brief, wild ride are cast members Cássio Borges, Samuel Colt, Michell Costa, Junior Dantas, Fritz Delangelo, and JP Dubois. With two narrators guiding the ship in a 13-minute runtime, you can already tell the structure of this film is anything but traditional.
Story & What to Expect
So, what actually happens in Pluto? The official premise is delightfully straightforward yet incredibly unique: the film serves as a tour guide of the best hook-up gay places in the city centre of Rio de Janeiro.
But here is the twist that elevates it from a simple documentary-style vlog into something else entirely-its genre is classified as Fantasy.
Instead of a dry, sterile travel guide, expect Pluto to treat the cruising spots and nightlife of Rio de Janeiro as a mythical, neon-drenched dreamscape. Think of it as a magical-realist map of desire. The film promises to take the real-world geography of Rio's queer underbelly and filter it through a lens of fantasy, transforming alleyways, parks, and city centers into stages for ethereal encounters. It’s brief, it’s localized, and it promises to show you a side of Rio that tourist brochures definitely leave out.
Why It's Worth Watching
Alright, let’s address the glittering, 800-pound gorilla in the room: Pluto currently sits with a user rating of 2/10 on TMDb.
Now, to the casual moviegoer, a 2/10 might look like a warning sign to run in the opposite direction. But to seasoned lovers of cult cinema, that score is practically an invitation. In the world of avant-garde, low-budget queer filmmaking, polarizing ratings usually mean one of two things: either the film is wonderfully misunderstood, or it is so unapologetically bizarre and explicit that it completely baffled mainstream audiences.
Ultimately, Pluto is worth a watch for the sheer novelty of it. It’s a 13-minute commitment. You spend more time scrolling through TikTok or trying to decide what to order on food delivery apps than the entire runtime of this movie. For just a pocket of your afternoon, you get to experience Daniel Nolasco’s highly stylized vision of Rio de Janeiro-a fantasy tour guide of passion, concrete, and late-night secrets.
If you are tired of the same old Hollywood formula and want to dip your toes into a polarizing piece of Brazilian queer fantasy, Pluto is waiting for you. Just leave your mainstream expectations at the door.
