SummaryWelcome to the world's most notorious slum: Rio de Janeiro's 'City of God.' A place where combat photographers fear to tread, where Police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. This is the true story of a young man who grew up on these streets and whose ambition as a photographer is our window in and ultimately may be... Read More
Directed By:Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund
Written By:Bráulio Mantovani, Paulo Lins
City of God
Metascore
Generally Favorable
79
User score
Universal Acclaim
9.0
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
82% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
18% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
A visual and aural feast that combines elements of classic gangster melodramas, crime epics such as "The Godfather" and playful non-linear narratives such as "Amores Perros," City of God explores a deadly culture while feeling more alive than anything that's hit the big screen in years.
100
One of the most uncompromisingly bleak films I've ever seen.
User score
Universal Acclaim
96% Positive
508 Ratings
508 Ratings
2% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
2% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
Aug 14, 2025
10
Filme incrível. É uma mistura de realismo, brutalidade e brasilidade, ao mesmo tempo que a história é contada numa estrutura narrativa não-cronológica impecável e desenvolve vários personagens. O filme aborda tantas questões de forma natural, a brutalidade nas favelas, a corrupção dos policias, como quem é honesto parece que é otário no Brasil, guerra de gangues, como menores são captados para o tráfico de drogas, vingança, violencia domestica, impunidade, etc. O filme conta como Zé Pequeno que é um criminoso desde criança virou o dono da favela, sendo extremamente brutal e matando todos no seu caminho. Ele acaba entrando numa guerra de gangues com outro traficante e no final do filme, acaba sendo morto por garotos por vingança pq mataram o amigo deles. E essa é só uma das camadas, pq quem narra tudo isso é o Buscapé, o protagonista que vira reporter e o final é sensacional porque o Buscapé registrou toda cena final dos policias sendo subornados pra liberar o Zé Pequeno e depois os garotos atirando nele mas ele preferiu não mostrar essa fotos com medo de represalias dos policiais corruptos ou dos garotos, apenas a foto do Zé baleado igual queijo-suiço.
Nov 3, 2024
10
Muito bom. Pnemoultramicroscopicosilicovulcanoconioticopneumoultramicrocopicosilicovulcanoconiotico
90
Emotionally gripping from start to finish, the movie presents an electrifying and unforgettable look at life in a place that God has all but forgotten.
83
Undeniably powerful, the work also comes with its own built-in shield against feeling any one character's difficulties too deeply, or for too long.
70
The impressive filmmaking craftsmanship and sharp storytelling skills make this two-hour-plus epic fly by.
60
But if City of God whirs with energy for nearly its full 130-minute running time, it is oddly lacking in emotional heft for a work that aspires to the epic -- it is essentially a tarted-up exploitation picture whose business is to make ghastly things fun.
50
Full of action, but no soul.
Oct 9, 2024
10
The best Brazilian film ever made, better than Tropa de Elite 1 and 2, Better than City of Men, Alto da Compadecida, Carandiru, and among other films from the Brazilian Elite, and better than many from the Hollywood Elite.
Nov 10, 2022
10
A gritty movie. Beautifully done, and, as it seems with so many films about brazils less than glamorous underbelly, it captivates the attention with the excitement and vibrant story telling. An awesome movie, which flows from challenge to challenge, with each solution bringing further development in the plot seamlessly.
May 8, 2022
10
Such an amazing film that deserves the accolades and acclaimed hype it's garnered. One of the best foreign language films there is and one of the best films personally seen recently, after a long time of being on my to see list but taking a while to get round to it due to being so busy and going through a difficult phase. Perhaps 'City of God' is not for everybody. It is not some audience members' idea of being entertaining, and is pretty unflinching, uncompromising and challenges the viewer. It does, with that being said, a superlative job bringing those qualities to life, and there are others, including myself, who judge films by what they set out to do rather than just wanting to be "entertained". There are many hugely entertaining films, while there are others that are clearly intended to be things other than entertainment and either are deep character studies, deliberate mood pieces and poignant dramas and shouldn't be denounced because of stereotypical views of what a film should be like. 'City of God' is very well made, with some stunning and hard-hitting images, even if the budget is not high or enormous. It's all audaciously shot and edited with a lot of gritty atmosphere and sense of tension. The music fits well and has some haunting moments without being intrusive, while Fernando Meirelles's direction, particularly in the visual style, is superb. The story is not hard to follow, with lots of provoking thought, tension and emotion, while the action is positively explosive, frighteningly brutal and designed with a real meticulousness. In no way either does it glamorise crime and gives an unflinching view of gangland rivalry, provoking comparisons to Martin Scorsese and 'Goodfellas'. Alexandre Rodrigues and Leandro Firmino da Hora are fabulous in their roles and carry the film and their compellingly real characters adeptly. Overall, a masterwork. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Nov 29, 2021
10
Com certeza um dos melhores filmes brasileiros que eu já vi uma obra prima do cinema retratando a violência no Brasil.
Nov 14, 2021
10
One of the 10 greatest movies of all time. Note: brazilian movies should be watched with original audio.
Production Company:
- O2 Filmes
- VideoFilmes
- Globo Filmes
- Lumière
- Wild Bunch
- StudioCanal
Release Date:Jan 17, 2003
Duration:2 h 10 m
Rating:R
Tagline:If you run, the beast will get you. If you stay, the beast will eat you
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 4 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Cinema Brazil Grand Prize
• 6 Wins & 16 Nominations
