'Dark Horse': understand the meaning of the expression used in the title of the film about Jair Bolsonaro

Jim Caviezel on the poster for 'Dark Horse'
Reproduction/Instagram/therealjimcaviezel
With an American director and protagonist, the biopic of Jair Bolsonaro, "Dark Horse", does not yet have a title in Portuguese, but the original name uses an expression in English that can be translated as "underdog".
The film has gained more relevance since this Wednesday (13), when it was revealed that the senator and pre-candidate for Presidency of the Republic Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) pressured banker Daniel Vorcaro to help finance the film.
Owner of Banco Master, Vorcaro is arrested in São Paulo, accused of leading a billion-dollar financial fraud scheme that could reach R$12 billion, according to the PF.
The idea of an "underdog", a competitor who has little chance of winning and who therefore may surprise, the title matches the synopsis of the film, released by Deadline:
"Inspired by true events, 'Dark Horse' follows Jair Bolsonaro, a controversial outsider who rises from an unknown army captain to populist leader in the presidential race in a deeply polarized Brazil, only to face a deadly assassination plot that turns his fight against a corrupt system into a battle for survival, truth and the soul of a nation."
The film's director, Cyrus Nowrasteh, also spoke about the concept.
"The story of Jair Bolsonaro's unlikely rise and the attack he suffered in 2018 served as the basis for investigating how far established systems can go to preserve themselves - and how a politician can become the receptacle of a nation's hopes and fears," he told Deadline.
Audio from Flávio Bolsonaro to Daniel Vorcaro; listen
What is known about Vorcaro, Flávio Bolsonaro and 'Dark Horse'
Banker Daniel Vorcaro helped finance a film about Jair Bolsonaro - and the negotiations involved direct contacts with the former president's eldest son, the senator and pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), who was pushing for the payments.
The information was revealed by Intercept Brasil, which had access to messages exchanged between the two and an audio sent by Flávio to the banker in September 2025.
TV Globo confirmed with investigators and people with access to the information the content of the report and the existence of the audio.
According to the Intercept, Vorcaro even paid R$61 million for the production of the film "Dark Horse" between February and May 2025. The money, according to the website, was transferred to a fund in the United States from a ally of another son of the former president, former deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro.
The senator was questioned on Wednesday afternoon by reporters about the topic upon leaving the Federal Supreme Court (STF), but he only left the interview saying it was "private money".
Later, the politician released a video confirming the request for money from Vorcaro, but denying irregularities. He also stated that he did not have "spurious relations" with the banker and defended the holding of a CPI on Master.
Flávio Bolsonaro and Daniel Vorcaro
Adriano Machado/Reuters and Reproduction

Source: G1