Where to Watch On Behalf of My Son (2026)
On Behalf of My Son, released in Brazil as Vicentina Pede Desculpas, is in selected Brazilian cinemas since Thursday 5 November 2026 and arrives on Netflix on 20 November 2026. If you are outside Brazil, Netflix is the only legal route, and Brazilian trade press reports the launch will be simultaneous in more than 190 countries.
That is the whole answer for most readers: two weeks of waiting, then it is included with any Netflix plan. The rest of this guide covers what the film is, why it has been collecting awards since September, and what to watch while you wait.
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Where to watch it right now
| Where | How | Date | | --- | --- | --- | | Brazil | Selected cinemas | From 5 November 2026 | | Brazil | Netflix | 20 November 2026 | | Everywhere else | Netflix | 20 November 2026 (reported as a simultaneous global launch) |
The cinema run is limited. Netflix's own announcement says "select theaters", and the Brazilian trade site Telaviva lists Salvador, João Pessoa, Recife, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Porto Alegre among the cities with sessions. There is no theatrical release outside Brazil that any source reports, no digital rental, and no free or ad-supported version. The Netflix title page is already live, so you can add it to your list today.
Find Streaming Links for On Behalf of My Son 2026→What it is about
Vicentina is a 75-year-old retired teacher in Belo Horizonte, played by Rejane Faria. Her son Wesley (Renato Novaes) drives a city bus. One day the packed bus goes off a viaduct and everyone aboard dies except one injured passenger. Security footage then fuels speculation that Wesley did it on purpose.
Grieving and uncertain, Vicentina sets out to find the families of the victims and apologise to them, on his behalf. The answers she finds are not the ones she hoped for. Gabriel Martins wrote, directed and edited the film, which was produced by Thiago Macêdo Correia for Filmes de Plástico in collaboration with Netflix. The cast also includes Maíra Azevedo, Grace Passô, Thalma de Freitas, Giovanna Heliodoro, Giovanni Venturini, Flávio Bauraqui and Karine Teles. It runs about two and a half hours.
In an interview with Revista de Cinema, Martins said Netflix picked the hardest of three scripts he submitted, and called the result "um insulto ao algoritmo", an insult to the algorithm. That is a fair warning about pace: this is a slow, heavy grief drama, not a thriller about a bus crash.
Why it matters
The festival run has been unusually strong for a Brazilian film heading straight to a streamer:
- Toronto (TIFF), September 2026: world premiere in the Platform section, the festival's competitive strand.
- San Sebastián: Official Selection, competing for the Golden Shell.
- Festival do Rio: Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and the audience award for best fiction feature.
- Goya Awards 2027: chosen by the Brazilian Film Academy as Brazil's entry for Best Ibero-American Film.
Martins' previous film, Marte Um (Mars One, 2022), was Brazil's submission for the 95th Academy Awards. No source confirms this film as an Oscar submission, so do not read the awards list as one.
What to watch first
If you have not seen Mars One, it is the obvious warm-up: a working-class family in Belo Horizonte, same director, same production company, and a much lighter film. In Brazil it streams on Globoplay and rents on Apple TV. Outside Brazil availability varies by country, so search it rather than assuming.
Two other recent Brazilian dramas that travelled well and are worth lining up:
- I'm Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui, 2024), Walter Salles' drama with Fernanda Torres about a family under the dictatorship.
- The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto), Kleber Mendonça Filho's thriller with Wagner Moura.
The short version
| Where | When | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Brazilian cinemas (selected) | Now | Ticket | | Netflix, Brazil and worldwide | 20 November 2026 | Included with any plan | | Digital rental or purchase | Not announced | — | | Free, legally | No | — |
Dates come from Netflix's own announcements as of 6 November 2026. The 190-country figure is from Brazilian trade press, not from Netflix directly.
Related reading
- The Secret Agent, Brazil's Oscar contender
- I'm Still Here, Walter Salles' Brazilian drama
- Three Brazilian and Portuguese films to watch
- New on streaming in November 2026
- Where to watch Black Doves season 2 on Netflix
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