Brazilian Cult Classic The Devil Queen Returns in New 4K Restoration

Milton Gonçalves commands Rio’s criminal underworld in the restored 1974 cult film The Devil Queen.

Brazilian Cult Film ‘The Devil Queen’ Returns in New 4K Restoration This June

A rarely seen piece of Brazilian genre and queer cinema history is heading back to theaters this summer.

The Devil Queen, the 1974 crime drama from director Antônio Carlos de Fontoura, is returning to theaters in a newly restored 4K presentation beginning June 17 in New York and Los Angeles.

Set within the criminal underworld of 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the film follows the feared “Devil Queen,” a cartel leader operating out of a brothel while attempting to maintain control over a violent and unstable criminal network. As rival groups including gangsters, drag performers, and sex workers begin turning against one another, the film descends into a brutal power struggle centered on survival and dominance at the edges of society.

The restoration marks another major reintroduction of politically and culturally significant international genre films to modern audiences, particularly works that existed outside mainstream global distribution during their original release periods.

Originally released during Brazil’s military dictatorship, The Devil Queen draws loose inspiration from the real-life figure João Francisco dos Santos, a legendary Brazilian outlaw often associated with marginalized communities and underground criminal culture during the early 20th century.

The film reimagines that legacy within a stylized 1970s setting that blends crime cinema, exploitation aesthetics, and social commentary. Much of the attention surrounding the film historically has centered on the performance by Milton Gonçalves, whose portrayal of the Devil Queen challenged conventional depictions of masculinity and gender presentation in Brazilian cinema at the time.

Visually, the film embraces the heightened style common to many international pulp and exploitation films of the 1970s, combining vivid costuming, violence, and melodrama against the backdrop of urban political tension and criminal instability.

The new restoration was completed by CinemaScópio and Cinelimite, continuing ongoing efforts to preserve and restore historically important Latin American cinema.

For genre audiences, the film represents a notable intersection of crime, exploitation, and queer representation during a politically volatile era of Brazilian filmmaking. Its return to theaters also reflects the continued interest in restoration projects that revisit overlooked international cult films through modern theatrical presentations.

The Devil Queen opens in New York and Los Angeles on June 17 in its restored 4K format.