Property, A Different Kind of Home Invasion Horror Movie

Not just a fight between haves and have-nots, the Property (Propriedade) film sets up a scenario where the workers who made their home at a farmstead fight back against unscrupulous landowners. Teresa and Renildo oversee this property from their homes in the city and it’s now become unprofitable. They arrived soon after the news had already been broken to the existing workers. Not only that, these unfortunate quasi-slaves have been told any money they were owed would be kept in back debts.

Teresa and Renildo have also been having a rough time. Teresa was the victim of an armed hold-up that resulted in the assailant being shot to death as he held her at gunpoint. Renildo, being the caring husband he is, needs her to accompany him to the farm. It’s being turned into a hotel and sensing his wife’s trepidation, he buys an indestructible armored vehicle to make her feel more like traveling. It even has a fancy voice-activated passcode to make it go.

When in Doubt, Fight it Out

Directed and written by Daniel Bandeira Property is a directorial debut with all its tension in spades. Anyone who has seen Cugo knows that a woman stuck in a car with dangers lurking outside is competently frightening. Billed as a home invasion thriller, Property is more in line with survival-type movies.

The workers make a hostile takeover of their boss’s land, so when Teresa and Renildo make an unannounced arrival, he is almost beaten to death by the angry workers. As the farmhands gather their wits and come up with a plan Teresa heads for the armored vehicle in an attempt to flee.

Unfortunately for Teresa, she only heard the passcode one time, and in her panicked state, she certainly can’t remember it now. Stuck in the car, the workers begin a mission to either flush her out or gain entry to the impenetrable vehicle.

The setup is great in Property. The dynamics of the situation leave some rather illogical remnants behind that slowly seep into the dramatic events. As much as I wanted to lean into the narrative, as the story rolls on, plotholes regarding what might happen after the credits roll seem to have been slightly overlooked.

Property Film Review

Also in the way of buying into the plotline is the rich versus poor aesthetic. Teresa and her husband are portrayed as only a slightly happy couple, and despite her husband’s energetic personality, they are both completely vicariously responsible for the plight of these poorly treated staff. In an attempt to gain sympathy from the viewer, Teresa is given a backstory that makes her only slightly vulnerable.

I can assume empathy is supposed to lie with the story of farmhands’ tales of hardships and historical abuse. However, past that, these people would never get away with taking over a property by killing its owners. If you can get through that logic, Property (Propriedade) is a fairly serious thriller that relies on its protagonist’s survival instincts to stay alive.

If you enjoy films like The Strangers 2 – Prey at Night, You’re Next, and Speak No Evil where the violence is perpetuated from both sides, then likely you will enjoy Property.

For another review of Property 2022 visit Guy at the Movies where the title screened at Fantasia Fest 2023. You can watch the movie for yourself by visiting JustWatch.com via the links below. For more survival thrillers and survival horror Mother of Movies recommends the following B-Movies Motion Detected | Nowhere or Dig to watch next.

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