Conrad was Polish-British, born in Ukraine, and Nunes is Brazilian, but somehow Heart of Darkness qualified as a Brazilian-French co-production, so here it is. Although never specifically identified, Marlon (formerly Marlow) is clearly a member of a paramilitary police organization, in the tradition of BOPE, a.k.a. the Elite Squad. So was Captain Kurtz (demoted from Colonel), formerly a decorated officer, who is now suspected of defecting to a drug cartel operating in the Guanabara Bay.
Ironically, but not surprisingly, Marlon must rely on locally-posted Sgt. Medeiros, who brazenly cooperates with various drug gangs. Awkwardly, Medeiros lets Marlon know he is well aware of the existentialist cop’s reputation as a holier-than-thou critic of police corruption, which has badly damaged his career. In fact, the top brass stated in no uncertain terms this mission could be his last chance for redemption. Yet, Marlon naggingly suspects they would prefer Kurtz dead—and wouldn’t mind if he became collateral damage.
Without question, Nunes captures the spirit of Conrad’s novella—arguably even better than Coppola classic, which steamrolled into entirely its own beast. Indeed, evenhanded commentators should admit the corrupt symbiosis of the paramilitaries and the cartels better parallels Conrad’s critique of colonialism than the Vietnam War.
The animation also vividly captures the atmosphere of tropical darkness. Yet, Nunes still gives his Heart of Darkness a distinctly Brazilian flavor, incorporating a setting inspired by the Jardim Gramacho landfill, as well as references to evil Umbandista (voodoo) orixas (or deities). This is definitely animation for adults, but the violence is never exploitative for its own sake.
Supposedly, Nunes set his Heart of Darkness in the very near future, but it feels very now. Yet, it remains recognizably consistent with Conrad, both thematically and spiritually. Highly recommended, Heart of Darkness screens this Saturday night (2/7), during the 2026 Animation First.
