The Blue Trail Review: Elderly Freedom

Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail (O Último Azul) delivers its fascinating concept with aplomb, organically crafting an authoritarian world that devalues people the older they get.

The government presents the move as being in the best interests of everyone, but in theory, it’s a selfish ploy solely based on economic factors. It’s a separationist society that is elegantly captured by Mascaro, one that sees fascinating futurism embedded with present day realism, and whilst The Blue Trail is specifically set in Brazil, it is indicative of governments and societies throughout the world, and how they treat the elderly generation.

At first, the cutoff is 80-years-old. At this point, people are relocated without choice (often via a caged vehicle sarcastically named The Wrinkle Wagon by locals), stripped of their everyday freedoms and personal choice. Such restrictive measures aren’t just seen in these moments, but also in the prevalent use of ID cards in most situations, linking directly to an increase in state surveillance in the 21st Century. Soon the age is lowered to 75, which directly affects Teresa. Placed under the guardianship of her daughter, which effectively ends all of Teresa’s agency, she defies the order, setting out on a soul-searching journey through the Amazon. Her end goal is, on paper, simple: to ride an airplane for the first time.

The Blue Trail starts incredibly strongly, with Mascaro and co-writer Tibério Azul impressively creating a dystopian world thoroughly influenced by our present. They do this via organic means, with strong set design and surreal script writing, combining captivating visuals  with Memo Guerra’s (For Better, For Worse) quirky, ethereal original score. At the film’s centre is a spectacular Weinberg, who imbues Teresa with a weathered anger for how she is treated by strangers and family alike. Her needs and desires shouldn’t be complicated, but restrictive laws make them so.

Teresa’s journey sees her meet a host of colourful characters; the first is a mysterious man on a boat called Cadu (Rodrigo Santoro, Westworld), who agrees to help her begin her journey. Here, The Blue Trail loses some momentum, but Cadu’s introduction is important for the story. He introduces Teresa to a species of snail whose bright blue slime will show you your future, if you drip it into your eyes. What is an incredibly surreal concept is handled well by Mascaro and Azul; they never lose sight of The Blue Trail’s realistic trappings. There is some aimlessness in the film’s middle sections, but Teresa’s journey is always driven by a strong sense of self-discovery.

When she meets Roberta (Miriam Socorrás, María Antonia), a woman of similar age who travels freely around on a large boat selling electronic bibles, the story finds its more assured footing once again. Here, The Blue Trail tackles its central concept with full force, exposing a startlingly beautiful core amidst the cruel nature of the state’s policies. It’s never too late to discover new parts of yourself, and life does not end at 77-years-old, or retirement, or any set age for that matter. This strikingly poignant sentiment is at the core of The Blue Trail, and is a comforting gem to clasp onto.

The Blue Trail (O Último Azul) will be screened at the BFI London Film Festival on 8-17 October, 2025.