I find it hard to ignore obscure world cinema titles that generate a buzz by winning the top award at renowned festivals, such as at the 2022 Locarno Film Festival. It's also been a long while since I last saw a Brazilian movie, making this one ripe for my watchlist.
In case you're wondering, the title "Rule 34" refers to an Internet meme that states "If it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions." How this specifically factors into the movie is ponderous though.
Right from the first frame, Rule 34 is sexually provocative and (somewhat) explicit. Director Júlia Murat has carefully selected a black, bisexual protagonist and we follow her journey as she experiences asphyxiation, BDSM, interracial threesomes, and more for the first time.
There is a political-laden subtext, which includes racism, colonialism, and toxic (possibly even heteronormative) patriarchalism for example. This allows Rule 34 to level up somewhat and set itself aside from similar movies that deep dive into the world of adult entertainment and sexual discovery.
Saying that, Rule 34 isn't for everyone. Especially the scenes of asphyxiation look particularly unnerving, since those types of imagery have mostly been reserved for horror movies until now and have rarely been sexualized onscreen.
Rule 34 is a solid movie and ticks all of the boundary-pushing boxes that I love about independent world cinema.
