Sign up
Trailer

City of God

2002Movie2 h 9 minR

CrimeDrama
87
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb8.6Letterboxd4.6/5Metacritic799.0Rotten Tomatoes91%97%
87
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb8.6Letterboxd4.6/5Metacritic799.0Rotten Tomatoes91%97%

Summary

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

Good for

  • Friends night
  • Thought-provoking
  • Adults

Skip it if

  • You need an uplifting mood
  • You want to half-watch while scrolling
  • Graphic violence bothers you
  • You want something quiet and calm

Where to watch

Set your services

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Cast

24 of 40

Crew

Directed by
Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund
Written by
Paulo Lins, Bráulio Mantovani
Produced by
Walter Salles, Donald Ranvaud, Mauricio Andrade Ramos
Music by
Antonio Pinto, Ed Cortês

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

August 30, 2002 · 2 h 9 min · R

Released
August 30, 2002
Runtime
2 h 9 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Drug Use, Strong Language, Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, Crime
Original language
Portuguese
Made in
Brazil, France, Germany
Budget
$3 million
Box office
$31 million
Available in
49 countries
Keywords
based on true story

Tropes

Bait-and-Switch, Pet the Dog, Ambition is Evil +9

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream City of God?"

Questions about City of God

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream City of God?

KanopyHoopla

In the United States, City of God is free with ads on Kanopy and Hoopla. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, JustWatch TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 34 other countries.

Is City of God worth watching?

87
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 87 (IMDb 8.6, Letterboxd 4.6 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 91%, and Metacritic 79).

Will I feel good after watching City of God?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

Is City of God plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and pathos (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was City of God a box office hit?

Budget$3 million
Box office$31 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $3 million to make and earned $31 million worldwide, 9.3 times its budget.

Is City of God in English?

Portuguese

No, it was made in Portuguese.

What tropes does City of God use?

Bait-and-SwitchPet the DogAmbition is EvilDamn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!Disproportionate RetributionMonochrome CastingWhole Episode FlashbackTime-Passage BeardDirty CowardSelf-Fulfilling ProphecyFrom Camouflage to CriminalInitiation Ceremonyand 107 more

TV Tropes lists 119 tropes for it, including Bait-and-Switch, Pet the Dog, and Ambition is Evil.