City of God (Portuguese:Cidade de Deus) is a 2002 Brazilianepiccrime film directed byFernando Meirelles andKátia Lund. The screenplay, written byBráulio Mantovani, is adapted from the1997 novel byPaulo Lins, though the plot is also loosely based on real events. The film portrays the rise oforganized crime in theCidade de Deus suburb ofRio de Janeiro between the late 1960s and early 1980s, culminating in a war between drug dealer Li'l Zé and vigilante-turned-criminal Knockout Ned. Its tagline is, "If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you."
Following the success ofCity of God, Meirelles and Lund created theCity of Men TV series and its2007 film adaptation. Both projects share some actors (notably leads Silva andDarlan Cunha) and the same setting asCity of God.
The film opensin medias res in the 1980s within the titular Rio de Janeirofavela. A gang led by the ruthless drug lord Li'l Zé chases a runaway chicken. The bird halts between the gang and the film’s narrator, Rocket (Buscapé), a young aspiring photographer. This tense standoff frames the nonlinear narrative, which chronicles the favela’s descent into violence over two decades.
The story flashes back to the 1960s, when Cidade de Deus is a fledgling housing project plagued by poverty. Rocket, then a child, observes his older brother Goose (Marreco) and two friends—Shaggy (Cabeleira) and Clipper (Alicate)—known as the "Tender Trio." These amateur thieves rob gas trucks and businesses, sharing proceeds with residents who shield them from police. Their cautious approach contrasts with Li'l Dice (Dadinho), an ambitious preteen who idolizes the trio.
Li'l Dice manipulates the Tender Trio into raiding a motel, insisting they rob wealthy guests. The trio agrees but forbids killing. During the heist, Li'l Dice, left as a lookout, fabricates a police arrival, prompting the gang to flee. He then massacres the motel occupants, drawing intense police scrutiny. The trio disbands: Clipper joins a church, Shaggy dies in a police shootout, and Goose is murdered by Li'l Dice after stealing his loot. Witnessing this, Benny (Bené), Shaggy’s brother and Li'l Dice’s friend, becomes complicit in the betrayal.
By the 1970s, the favela morphs into a violent drug hub. Li'l Dice, now "Li'l Zé," dominates the trade with Benny, eliminating rivals except Carrot, Benny’s childhood friend. Rocket, now a teenager, navigates the chaos, pursuing photography and a romance with Angélica. His life intersects with Li'l Zé when he visits a drug den during a raid; recognizing Rocket as Goose’s brother, Benny spares him.
Li'l Zé’s empire faces threats from the "Runts," preteen thieves disrupting Carrot’s territory. When Carrot refuses to act, Li'l Zé forces a Runt named Steak n’ Fries (Filé com Fritas) to kill a peer, cementing his tyranny. Meanwhile, Rocket’s attempts at honest work fail after the Runts loot his supermarket job. He nearly turns to crime but is dissuaded by Knockout Ned (Mané Galinha), a principled bus clerk and ex-Army sharpshooter.
Benny, seeking escape, plans to leave with Angélica. At his farewell party, a conflict erupts when Li'l Zé confronts Benny over abandoning him. Blacky (Neguinho), a disgruntled dealer who had his turf stolen by Zé in the earlier raid, accidentally shoots and kills Benny during a botched assassination attempt. Carrot, fearing retaliation, kills Blacky. Grief-stricken, Li'l Zé targets Carrot but first assaults Ned and rapes his girlfriend. Ned retaliates by allying with Carrot, sparking a gang war.
A year later, the war rages on. Ned, now a media figure, is betrayed by his own vengeance, killing a guard during a bank robbery. Rocket, now working for Jornal do Brasil, photographs the chaos. After Li'l Zé demands photos of his gang, Rocket’s images are accidentally published without consent. While he believes that this will endanger his life and forbid him from returning to the favela, unbeknownst to him, it is revealed that Li'l Zé was trying to gain the media spotlight anyway and approves of the photos. Marina, the journalist who published the photos, offers for Rocket to spend a night at hers as a form of apology, finally losing his virginity in the process.
The narrative returns to the opening chicken chase. Amid a police standoff, Carrot’s gang ambushes Li'l Zé. Ned kills Li'l Zé’s ally Tiago but is slain by Otto, the son of the bank guard who earlier witnessed his father's murder at the hands of Ned. The police arrest Li'l Zé and Carrot but release the former after seizing the last of his assets as a bribe. The Runts, aspiring to power and seeking revenge for their murdered comrade, charge Li'l Ze and knock him to the ground, before killing him by shooting him in the back dozens of times, literally and metaphorically 'backstabbing' him. Rocket photographs the corrupt exchange but opts to publish Li'l Zé’s corpse, securing his journalism career over exposing police corruption, knowing that the latter could make him a target of the police.
The film concludes with the Runts plotting their takeover, perpetuating the cycle of violence. Rocket’s choice underscores his role as an observer, capturing the favela’s brutal reality while seeking escape through his art.
Alexandre Rodrigues as Rocket: The narrator, who dreams of becoming a photographer. His real name is Wilson Rodrigues.
Leandro Firmino asLi'l Zé/Li'l Dice: A power-hungry sociopath, who takes sadistic pleasure in killing. "Dado" is a common nickname for Eduardo and means "dice", and "inho" is a diminutive suffix in Portuguese. As an adult, he is given the name Zé Pequeno in aCandomblé ceremony, which may be unrelated to his actual name and more to his short stature. Zé is a nickname for José, while pequeno means "little".Douglas Silva portrays Li'l Dice as a child.
Phellipe Haagensen as Benny: Zé's longtime partner in crime, he is a friendly City of God drug dealer who fancies himself a sort of Robin Hood and eventually wants to lead an honest life.Michel Gomes portrays Benny as a child.
Matheus Nachtergaele as Carrot: A drug dealer who is friendly with Benny but is constantly threatened by Zé.
Seu Jorge as Knockout Ned[pt]: 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.
Jonathan Haagensen as Shaggy: Older brother of Benny and the leader of the Tender Trio ("Trio Ternura"), a group of thieves who share their profits with the population of the City of God.
Roberta Rodrigues as Berenice: Shaggy's girlfriend, who convinces him to leave the favela and his criminal past.
Renato de Souza as 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.
Jefechander Suplino as Clipper: One of the Tender Trio. He later gives up crime to join the Church.
Edson Oliveira as Stringy: Childhood friend of Rocket. Emerson Gomes portrays Stringy as a child.
Alice Braga as Angélica: A friend and love interest of Rocket, and later Benny's girlfriend, who motivates Benny to abandon the criminal life.
Daniel Zettel as Tiago: Angélica's ex-boyfriend, who later becomes Li'l Zé's associate and a drug addict.
Darlan Cunha as Steak n' Fries: A young boy who joins Zé's gang.
Rubens Sabino as Blacky: Carrot's manager.
Charles Paraventi as Charles / Uncle Sam: A weapons dealer who's supplied by the police. After returning from a deal empty-handed, the police kill him.
On the bonus DVD, it is revealed that the only professional actor in the film wasMatheus Nachtergaele, who played the supporting role of Carrot.[10] Most of the remaining cast were from real-life favelas, and in some cases, even the real-life City of God favela itself. According to Meirelles, amateur actors were used for two reasons: the lack of available professional black actors, and the desire for authenticity. Meirelles explained: "Today I can open a casting call and have 500 black actors, but just ten years ago this possibility did not exist. In Brazil, there were three or four young black actors and at the same time I felt that actors from the middle class could not make the film. I needed authenticity."[11]
Beginning around 2000, about a hundred children and young people were hand-picked and placed into an "actors' workshop" for several months. In contrast to more traditional methods (e.g. studying theatre and rehearsing), it focused on simulating authentic street war scenes, such as a hold-up, scuffle, and shoot-out. Much came fromimprovisation, as it was thought better to create an authentic, gritty atmosphere. This way, the inexperienced cast soon learned to move and act naturally. After filming, the crew could not leave the cast to return to their old lives in the favelas. Assistance groups were set up to help those involved in the production to build more promising futures.[12]: 135–139
Meirelles went into the film with the intention of staying true to the "casual nature" of the violence inthe novel by Lins. Critic Jean Oppenheimer wrote on the production of the film saying that: "A second guiding principle was to avoid glamorising the violence" and that "many of the killings are either shown indistinctly or kept out of frame."[12]: 26–32
Because the real Cidade de Deus favela was in the middle of a conflict, a large majority of the film was shot in Cidade Alta, a different favela within Rio. During the production, slumlords did not allow for the production company to have their own security, so local security guards were hired for the safety of the set.[13]
Lund and Meirelles filmed theshort filmGolden Gate as a test run[10] while casting forCity of God was in the initial stages.[14]
The film was screened out of competition at the2002 Cannes Film Festival.[15] The film could not be part of the official selection becauseWalter Salles, one of the executive producers, was in the festival jury.[16] In Brazil,City of God garnered the largest audience for a domestic film in 2002, with over 3.1 million tickets sold, and a gross ofR$18.6 million ($10.3 million).[17] The film grossed over $7.5 million in the U.S. and over US$30.5 million worldwide.[18]
OnRotten Tomatoes,City of God has an approval rating of 91% based on reviews from 165 critics, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's consensus reads, "City of God offers a shocking and disturbing—but always compelling—look at life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro."[19] OnMetacritic, the film holds a score of 79 out of 100 based on 33 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]
Colin Kennedy fromEmpire awarded the film a full 5 out of 5 stars, comparing it favorably toGoodfellas and writing in his review, "At once a laboratory for cinema technique and a victory for raw heart, this is a snot-nosed, blood-stained masterpiece. If you see even one or two better movies this year, you will be very lucky indeed."[21] In 2008, the magazine choseCity of God as the 177th best film of all time.[22]
Film criticRoger Ebert awarded the film 4 stars out of 4, writing in his review, "City of God churns with furious energy as it plunges into the story of the slum gangs of Rio de Janeiro. Breathtaking and terrifying, urgently involved with its characters, it announces a new director of great gifts and passions: Fernando Meirelles. Remember the name."[23][24]
FilmmakerRobert Altman stated, "I don't know how Fernando Meirelles madeCity Of God. It's so courageous, so truthful. I think it's the best picture I've ever seen".[25] Meirelles himself cited Altman's work as an influence on his own career.[26]
The film was not without criticism. Peter Rainer ofNew York magazine stated that while the film was "powerful", it was also "rather numbing".[27]John Powers ofLA Weekly wrote that although "[the film] whirs with energy for nearly its full 130-minute running time, it is oddly lacking in emotional heft for a work that aspires to be so epic – it is essentially a tarted up exploitation picture whose business is to make ghastly things fun".[28]
Ivana Bentes, a Brazilian film critic, criticised the film for its depiction of the favela and her view that it glorified issues of poverty and violence as means of "domestication of the most radical themes ofculture andBrazilian cinema ... as products for export."[29] Bentes targets the film specifically in saying that: "City of God promotes tourism in hell".[30]
It ranked number 38 on theBBC list of best 100 films of the 21st century.[39] In June 2025, it ranked number 15 onThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and number 37 on the "Readers' Choice" edition of the list.[40][41] In July 2025, it ranked number 96 onRolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."[42]
Brazilian rapperMV Bill, a resident ofCidade de Deus, said the film had "brought no good to the favela, no social, moral, or human benefit."[43] He said, "The world will know that they exploited the image of the children who live here in Cidade de Deus. What is obvious is that they are going to carry a bigger stigma throughout their lives; it has only become greater because of the film."[12]: 123
In an interview withSlant Magazine, Meirelles states he had met with Brazil's former and current presidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva who told him about the impact the film has had on both policies and public security within the country. The film has also sparked major increase in film productions, with over 45 being done during 2002. Films such asThe Motorcycle Diaries andThe Intruder are some of the films which have used Brazil for film production.[69]
The 2013 documentaryCity of God – 10 Years Later reunites the cast and crew ofCity of God and takes a look at how their lives have changed after the original film's release. In aBBC article written at the time of the documentary's release, Firmino mentions that the cast had mixed careers after the film's release. Firmino says that Jefechander Suplino, who played Clipper, could not be found by the documentary producers. His mother, however, believes him to still be alive, but is unaware of his whereabouts.Seu Jorge, who played Knockout Ned, had a better career after the film and became a major musician, performing at theLondon 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony.[70]
The film's international distributorMiramax released the film on DVD in the United States on June 8, 2004.[72]
In 2010, Miramax was sold byDisney (their owners since 1993), with the studio being taken over by private equity firmFilmyard Holdings that same year.[73] Filmyard sublicensed the home video rights for several Miramax titles toLionsgate, who releasedCity of God onBlu-ray on December 13, 2011.[74]
Filmyard sold Miramax to Qatari companybeIN Media Group during March 2016.[75] In April 2020,ViacomCBS (now known asParamount Skydance) acquired the rights to Miramax's library, after buying a 49% stake in the studio from beIN.[76] The film was made available on their streaming serviceParamount+,[77] and in 2021,Paramount Home Entertainment reissuedCity of God on Blu-ray, along with many other Miramax titles.[78] Paramount Home Entertainment also issued the film on a double feature Blu-ray withCity of Men, another Miramax title they had acquired in 2020.[79]
^abcVieira, Else Ribeiro Pires (2005).City of God in Several Voices: Brazilian Social Cinema as Action. Else Ribeiro Pires Vieira. Nottingham, England: Critical, Cultural and Communication Press.ISBN1-905510-00-4.OCLC62368025.
