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City of God movie poster

MOVIE DECISION GUIDE

City of God

2002 · 2h 9m · Drama · Crime

CAST & DIRECTOR

Directed by Fernando Meirelles. With Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen.

84.3/100

TMDB RATING

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

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.

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84.3/100

TMDB RATING

YOUR WATCHLISTIn 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 dru…

MAKE THE CALL

Does this belong in your night?

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RELEASE SNAPSHOT

Release snapshot for City of God.

MoviHero lists August 30, 2002 as the release date for City of God. Fernando Meirelles is the listed director. The listed cast includes Alexandre Rodrigues as Buscapé, Leandro Firmino as Zé Pequeno / Dadinho, Phellipe Haagensen as Bené, Douglas Silva as Dadinho. A trailer and 5 stills are available on this page.

Release dateAugust 30, 2002

GenresDrama · Crime

Runtime2h 9m

DirectorFernando Meirelles

CastAlexandre Rodrigues as Buscapé, Leandro Firmino as Zé Pequeno / Dadinho, Phellipe Haagensen as Bené, Douglas Silva as Dadinho

TrailerAvailable on this page

Images5 stills

BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY

Is City of God right for tonight?

Pacing, attention and emotional impact are estimates from the current MoviHero Watch Profile, not verified scene-by-scene reviews.

How much time should I set aside?

City of God runs 2h 9m. Allow extra time for breaks.

Is it slow or fast?

The current MoviHero pacing estimate is 4/10: a more patient pace.

Is it a good choice when I am tired?

The attention estimate is 5/10. Expect to follow the story rather than use it as background viewing.

How emotionally intense is it?

The emotional-impact estimate is 6/10, suggesting a moderate emotional load. This does not tell you whether the ending is happy or sad.

CHANGE ONE THING

Like this, but...

These share a listed genre with City of God. Profile differences are estimates, not a guarantee of the same story or mood.

But shorterPrimetime2026 · 1h 50m

19 minutes shorter (1h 50m). Shared genre: drama, crime.

But less demanding48 Hrs.1982 · 1h 36m

Estimated attention required: 3/10 versus 5/10. Shared genre: crime.

RATING & SOURCE

TMDB audience rating

TMDB: 84.3/100 (8.425/10) from 8,534 votes. Updated Oct 19, 2026.

External ratings are converted directly to /100. We add no popularity, metadata or Watch Profile bonuses. MoviHero audience ratings are calculated separately from numerical ratings submitted here.

MOVIHERO AUDIENCE RATING

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No audience score yet · 0 numerical ratings. The average appears after 5 ratings.

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WHAT WATCHING IT FEELS LIKE

Watch Profile

Seven estimates of the viewing experience, based on the stored Watch Profile. These are separate from the movie rating and are not verified scene-by-scene assessments.

Pacing4/10

Emotional Impact6/10

Mind-Bending2/10

Scary1/10

Violence7/10

Rewatchability6/10

Attention Required5/10

City of God still

WATCH A PREVIEW

Trailer

A CLOSER LOOK

Stay with the image.

City of God still 1

City of God still 2

City of God still 3

City of God still 4

City of God still 5

CAST & CREW

The people who make it land.

Fernando Meirelles portrait

Fernando MeirellesDirector

Bráulio MantovaniWriter

Paulo LinsWriter

Andrea Barata RibeiroProducer

Maurício Andrade RamosProducer

Alexandre Rodrigues portrait

Alexandre RodriguesBuscapé

Leandro Firmino portrait

Leandro FirminoZé Pequeno / Dadinho

Phellipe Haagensen portrait

Phellipe HaagensenBené

Douglas Silva portrait

Douglas SilvaDadinho

Jonathan Haagensen portrait

Jonathan HaagensenCabeleira

Matheus Nachtergaele portrait

Matheus NachtergaeleSandro Cenoura

Seu Jorge portrait

Seu JorgeMané Galinha

Jefechander Suplino portrait

Jefechander SuplinoAlicate

CHARACTERS IN THIS MOVIE

Follow the character.

Reviewed MoviHero character guides connected to this movie.

otherCabeleiraCabeleira appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide otherBuscapéBuscapé appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide otherBenéBené appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide otherAngélicaAngélica appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide otherDadinhoDadinho appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide otherDadinhoDadinho appears in City of God (2002).Open character guide