A celebrated Brazilian film becomes harder to watch for some subscribers
A recent wave of Brazilian cinema is earning international attention — both at the box office and awards season — but one of this year’s most talked-about political dramas is suddenly more difficult for many Netflix subscribers to access. Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, a critically lauded film about Brazil’s 1970s military dictatorship, is available on Netflix in the United States — but not to users on the streamer’s ad-supported plan. The restriction is part of a broader set of licensing limits that have left roughly 140 titles unavailable to ad-tier customers this month.
Why titles are blocked on Netflix’s ad-supported tier
The root cause is licensing. When Netflix introduced its cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier in 2022, not every rights holder agreed to allow their content to run with advertising. Some studios, distributors and rights holders place contractual limits on how their films or series can be presented, and that can include prohibitions on ad-supported streaming. At launch, around 5% of Netflix’s library was blocked from the ad tier; that figure has declined over time and sits at about 1.7% this month, but a number of high-profile titles remain excluded.
That means even when a film is on Netflix’s catalog overall, ad-tier subscribers may see a “not available with ads” message or find the title absent from their account. The gap affects a mix of older catalog properties and recent prestige releases. Examples cited include early Netflix originals such as House of Cards, which are still barred on the ad tier, while other shows like Peaky Blinders were only restricted until rights cleared as recently as 2025.
I’m Still Here: the film and why it matters
I’m Still Here, directed by Walter Salles and led by Fernanda Torres, dramatizes the real-life ordeal of Eunice and Rubens Paiva during Brazil’s authoritarian era. Selton Mello portrays Rubens Paiva, the husband who is abducted by the military and never seen again. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2024 and became Brazil’s highest-grossing film in five years, earning more than $35 million worldwide.
Critics embraced the movie: it won the Academy Award for Best International Feature, and Torres received an acting nomination. Aggregators reflect that acclaim — I’m Still Here holds a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, where reviewers highlighted Torres’ central performance and the film’s power in tracing national upheaval through a family’s search for answers.
The Secret Agent and the broader Brazilian cinema moment
I’m Still Here helped set the stage for other Brazilian films receiving global attention. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent — a political drama set in the same historical period and starring Wagner Moura — premiered at Cannes and took home Best Actor and Best Director honors. The Secret Agent is also positioned for a strong Oscars run, reported to be competing in up to four categories, including Best Picture.
Together, these films underscore a renewed international appetite for contemporary work from Brazil: stories that take on historical memory, state violence and personal resilience. Their festival wins, box-office returns and awards-season momentum have elevated Brazilian cinema’s profile worldwide.
The irony: a film about repression limited by modern licensing rules
There’s an ironic twist to I’m Still Here’s ad-tier restriction. The film thematically grapples with state control, disappearance and the red tape that obstructs truth and justice. In real life, however, it’s corporate licensing and advertising rules — not censorship — that prevent some viewers from seeing an acclaimed account of those very issues. For subscribers on cheaper plans, that can feel like an encounter with another kind of barrier to cultural access.
What viewers should know and next steps
- If you’re on Netflix’s ad-supported plan and can’t find I’m Still Here, the title may still be in Netflix’s overall U.S. catalog but blocked for ad-tier accounts due to rights restrictions.
- Switching to a non-ad-supported subscription typically removes these ad-related limits, allowing access to titles restricted on the cheaper tier.
- Netflix has reduced the share of blocked titles since introducing ads in 2022, but negotiations with rights holders are ongoing; availability can change.
Looking ahead
As Brazilian filmmaking continues to draw awards and streaming attention, licensing friction between rights holders and streaming platforms will remain a practical issue for audiences. High-profile festival success and Oscar recognition can accelerate negotiations and wider availability, but for now, some of 2024’s most powerful political dramas remain out of reach for viewers on Netflix’s ad-supported plan — a reminder that distribution mechanics can shape who gets to see the stories that matter.