This is a decent Brazilian 80s suspense short film, with famous Brazilian actors Paulo Gracindo and Fernanda Montenegro, a great actress who ended up being nominated for an Oscar, nearly 10 years after this work, for her fine performance in the film "Central do Brasil".

The story is very simple: a couple of teenagers (the gorgeous angel-like Luciana Vendramini and Marcos Palmeira) are hired by an old lady (Montenegro) to watch over/take care of Gracindo, an old man in a wheelchair who is, apparently, completely catatonic and "Shut In" (the title of the original story) himself.

The young couple, however, is irresponsible and immature, and they decide that babysitting is a bit too boring, they are actually going to take this opportunity to have fun with the lethargic old man, having sex in front of him and practicing pranks, after all, he is completely oblivious to them and locked in his own world, unable to do anything about it.... Or is he?!

The production is quite well done. Sets and light are professional and efficient, although I don't think this was an enormously budgeted production. The acting by Vendramini and Palmeira is good, and the film has got some genuine and nice moments of suspense, with a nice surprise ending you probably (hopefully) didn't see coming. It's not too long and pretty much to the point. The presence of Vendramini also enriches the film, as she is very beautiful.

This story was actually written by the Comic Book author Bruce Jones, and it was published in his magazine TWISTED TALES #7 in the mid 80s. The original is a very nice graphic tale with brilliant illustration by Italian artist Liberatore, also famous for being published in Heavy Metal and Métal Hurlant magazines, specially because of his famous cyberpunk/ultra-violent character, Ranxerox.

The credit here in IMDb was incorrect, only giving the name of the Brazilian writer who adapted Jones's story to the script, and I corrected it. I don't know if Jones is credited in the short itself, or even if he was contacted and/or knows about this adaptation of his work! He produced many fine Comic Books. I heard his name, linked to this film, for the first time when Vendramini, in an interview on TV in 1992 or so, said "The short is based in a story by Bruce Jones". I kept that in my mind as I was, and am, an avid reader of Comics, and I knew one Bruce Jones who had written stories for Marvel and specially for the excellent artist Richard Corben, in particular the cinematographic "Rip In Time". But "Jones" is a very common name, and the Bruce Jones I knew and liked wrote Comic Books, not films, as far as I knew... Could they be the same?

A few years later I came across a compilation of stories by Liberatore and surely, SHUT IN was in there, to my total surprise. However, I still had doubts; JONES is, as I said, a very common name and Liberatori was Italian, an European, which is also kind of unusual in the sense that I didn't know if Bruce Jones, the writer from the USA, was exactly this one working with Liberatore. What if this was another author?

I finally got a confirmation when I found out that the writer that worked with Corben, the Bruce Jones I thought of all the time, wrote and edited the magazine in which the story was first published, thus putting an end in more than ten years of doubt! I recommend anyone who's interested to read the original story as well. It is available on the web, you can easily find it searching.

All in all, a good adaptation with a beautiful actress that was a milestone of beauty for her generation (she was nude in the Brazilian edition of Playboy magazine, as a teenager and became very famous in the late 80s) and two solid, traditional Brazilian actors that deliver great performances. Even if Gracindo spends most of his time in a catatonic state and Oscar nominated Montenegro is not around much. Nice little suspense story that does look like a beginners work, but does not disappoint and entertains!

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

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Paulo Gracindo in Trancado por Dentro (1989)

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Trancado por Dentro

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