The ‘near-perfect’ movie you need to watch on Netflix: ‘Caramelo’
The best thing about festive seasons with Netflix is that the surprises never slow down. Speaking of surprises, a new movie just landed on the platform, Caramelo. But despite its recent release, it has managed to leave a glowing imprint on Rotten Tomatoes.
Caramelo comes from the Brazilian slate of original productions by Netflix, which dropped on the streamer on October 8th. And the film has turned out to be a welcome arrival, boasting a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes already.
Directed by Diego Freitas, Caramelo tells the story of a budding chef named Pedro, played by Rafael Vitti. But amidst his cutthroat routine of chef life, Pedro begins to suffer from hard-hitting headaches. Although he tries to avoid it and get on with his work, an intruding yet adorable dog, eventually named Caramelo, sways him to the point where it convinces him to get treatment, which results in a life-changing diagnosis.
Caramelo helps Pedro make peace with his diagnosis, which is a cancer-ridden brain tumour. But throughout the Netflix movie, it’s his slow and heartwarming befriending of the pooch that steals the show. While habituated to living a life of a loner, Pedro kept his doors closed to others at all times, with Caramelo coming in, his life changed for the better as he started opening up.
Not only does he let Caramelo into his life, but also his mother. In fact, he also establishes an unexpected connection with a sweet dog rescuer, Camila, while finding a best friend in a fellow cancer patient, Leo. The Netflix movie carefully detaches itself from the usual tropes of a sad story, especially involving a dog.
And clearly, Netflix subscribers have given it a try as Caramelo keeps making waves on the Netflix charts. Sure, it carries highly emotional moments. However, it also manages to strike a balance with the feel-good sequences, instilling a hope for a silver lining. From the execution to the delivery, Caramelo hits all the right spots.
But most importantly, it’s the friendship between Caramelo and Pedro that becomes the heart of the movie. The film is a mixed bag when it comes to evoking emotions, as it will leave you laughing and crying all the same. However, it has surely become a must-watch on Netflix this streaming season for all the right reasons. In case you didn’t know, Caramelo is currently streaming on Netflix as the number one non-English movie on the charts. So, make sure you save a day for it before the spoilers come stinging like a bee.