Venice Review: ‘Wolf And Dog’ Follows Two Queer Teens In The Azores

deadline.com:

Wolf and Dog (Lobo e Cão) is the first feature film by Portuguese director Claudia Varejão. The movie follows a group of queer teenagers growing up in the uber-religious town of San Miguel in the Azores who yearn for more than the small-town ideals and the mundane lifestyle of their parents.

Written by Varejão and Leda Cartum, the central characters try to build a community of their own. Still, the adults want the kids to remain stagnant, become farmers, fishermen, or mothers, and force them to enjoy that lifestyle.

The movie has challenging moments to get through because they slow the pacing, making it a more tedious viewing experience, but the script works hard to subvert some harmful tropes.The story centers around Ana (Ana Cabral), a high schooler that keeps a small circle of friends in San Miguel.

Her best friend Luis (Ruben Pimenta) is an out and proud queer man who braves through the judgment and rejection to remain authentic to himself.