City of God
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.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles · Drama · Crime · 129 min · 2002
Trailer
Director
Fernando Meirelles
Studio
O2 Filmes / VideoFilmes / Hank Levine Film / Globo Filmes / Studio Canal / Wild Bunch{{cite web / title=The City of God (2002) / website=British Film Institute / access-date=14 June 2023 / url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b87f37051 / archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811120725/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b87f37051 / url-status=dead / archive-date=August 11, 2016
Release
2002-08-30
Runtime
129 min
Genres
Drama, Crime
Full Plot
Brazil, 1960s, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well...too well. 1970s: Li'l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980s: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs...will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God.
Cast & Characters
Buscapé - Rocket
Alexandre Rodrigues
Zé Pequeno - Li'l Zé
Leandro Firmino
Bené - Benny
Phellipe Haagensen
Dadinho - Li'l Dice
Douglas Silva
Cabeleira - Shaggy
Jonathan Haagensen
Sandro Cenoura - Carrot
Matheus Nachtergaele
Knockout Ned {{small|}} – A handsome, charismatic gentleman. As a veteran, he is an excellent shot and can shoot better than most "soldiers". His name was changed from "Mané Galinha" for the English subtitles because in English, "chicken", which "Galinha" translates to, is a term for a coward (in Brazil it denotes womanizing tendencies and popularity among women). "Mané" is a nickname for Manuel, but also denotes an individual not intellectually gifted.
Seu Jorge
Berenice – Shaggy's girlfriend, who convinces him to leave the favela and his criminal past.
Roberta Rodrigues
Goose – One of the Tender Trio, and Rocket's brother. He sleeps with a bartender's wife and gets kicked out by his father when the police arrive, he is killed by Li'l Dice later that day.
Renato de Souza
Clipper – One of the Tender Trio. He later gives up crime to join the Church.
Jefechander Suplino
Stringy – Childhood friend of Rocket. Emerson Gomes portrays Stringy as a child.
Edson Oliveira
Angélica – A friend and love interest of Rocket, and later Benny's girlfriend, who motivates Benny to abandon the criminal life.
Alice Braga
Tiago – Angélica's ex-boyfriend, who later becomes Li'l Zé's associate and a drug addict.
Daniel Zettel
Steak n' Fries – A young boy who joins Zé's gang.
Darlan Cunha
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $3.3M, City of God has grossed $30.6M worldwide — about 9.3x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
City of God was filmed on 16mm film stock.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
The film was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
City of God holds 8.4/10 on TMDb (8295 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on TMDb's aggregated score (8.4/10 on TMDb (8295 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of God good? What are critics saying?+
City of God holds 8.4/10 on TMDb (8295 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
How long is City of God?+
City of God has a runtime of 129 min.
Who directed City of God?+
City of God was directed by Fernando Meirelles.
Where can I watch City of God?+
City of God is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to the movie "City of God" varies widely. Some reviewers criticize the film's intense violence as too graphic for its 18-rated rating. Others praise it as a great film well-worth its respect and highlight the story's gritty realism. A few viewers are also amused by the trailer's misfortune, suggesting that other trailers might be better at showcasing the movie's worth.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
It’s a great film and well worthy of its the respect it has. It’s gruelling too, the 18 rating is due to the thread running through the film of continuous and ruthless violence of gangs trying to control their drug area. The is the story told through the eyes of ‘Rocket’ who avoi…
Told by way of an occasionally narrated retrospective, "Rocket" (Alexandre Rodrigues) tells us a story of his childhood in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Growing up in a community of newly built boxes, without power or plumbing, that reminded me of a row of concrete beach huts,…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
this is one of the worst trailers i've ever seen for such an incredible film
@androstar555 · 1112 likesThis actual movie is amazing one of my all time favorites; the trailer doesn't do it justice.
@andrewmclaren6707 · 1082 likesThis is the worst trailer for a good movie that I've ever seen.
@danparadis3810 · 4387 likesI'm Brazilian and i very proud to see this movie making success on USA and all over the world, but man, they can make a better trailer, this movie deserved!!!
@TheNiickceesar · 183 likesThis trailer is way too upbeat for this movie
@josephpasquini7167 · 812 likesThis movie is masterpiece. The best ever and perfect in everything. Camera, actors, plot, prop, i mean everything. The true arts
@tasyriq28 · 95 likesI love this movie so much but GOD OH GOD do I hate that cliche "trailer narrator."
@OperationCasual · 511 likesThis movie was excellent, not what I expected. Love the narrative, the music! Very intense and jacked up, but it seems so real. On the edge of my seat the whole time. Loved it, so emotional and raw.
@maddieflores62 · 135 likes