Essential Arthouse: City of God (2002)
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin. (R, 130 min.)
Showtimes
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
7:00 PM
Essential Arthouse 2026
Welcome 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 his only way out. [Miramax]
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele
Directors: Kátia Lund, Fernando Meirelles
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
"A staggering masterpiece."
— Mark Sells, Oregon Herald
"Cinema doesn't get more exhilarating than this."
— Nev Pierce, BBC.com
"A lung-burning dash down Brazil's mean streets."
— Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
"Pulses with atmosphere and vibrates with authenticity."
— Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
"Visually stunning, socially relevant, and simply unforgettable."
— Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly
"City Of God is the very definition of cinematic lightning in a bottle."
— Matt Neal, ABC Radio
"Sometimes a movie comes along that just floors you, its images burn so deeply."
— Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"Meirelles has created one of the most startling, grittily brilliant films in recent years."
— Desson Thomson, Washington Post
"One of those rare moviegoing experiences that simply flattens you with greatness from the word go."
— Steve Schneider, Orlando Weekly
"It should be considered required viewing, I think, by anyone who seeks to understand how violence begets violence."
— Peter Howell, Toronto Star
"A violent, thoroughly electrifying vision of Rio during the volatile 1970s, and possibly the first great crime film of the 21st century."
— Ken Fox, TV Guide
"City of God's ultimate individuality is nothing short of breathtaking, both for its sheer audacity and shattering intensity."
— Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
"City of God may offer few solutions and little hope, but its remarkable artistry and heartrending content make it a movie for the ages."
— Rod Armstrong, Reel.com
"A real adrenaline rush -- at times it manages to be powerful, thrilling and funny and sometimes all three of them at the same time."
— Jeff Vice, Deseret News
"Meirelles' astonishing film is the Brazilian Goodfellas, an exhilarating, shocking, breathtakingly brilliant, hyper-kinetic roller-coaster ride."
— Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
"What makes City of God so breathtaking is director Fernando Meirelles' passion for these people - he gives us the color, the music and the humor."
— Anupama Chopra, Film Companion
"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."
— Jean Oppenheimer, Dallas Observer
"The violence never feels exploitative; the only thrill you feel is that of being in the hands of a masterful storyteller opening your eyes to a world that you feel truly exists."
— Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune
"Brazillian director Mereilles' splashy feature debut, a dynamically exciting portrait of Rio's violent gangs, immediately established himsef as an international talent to watch, and the Oscar nods only reaffirmed that status."
— Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
"Fernando Meirelles' Brazilian slum epic is a profound, stylistically expansive depiction of three decades of child gang warfare on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro with non-actors playing their poverty-ridden lives for the camera."
— Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
"Each chapter is endowed with powerful, uncompromising, beguiling and, sometimes, deceptive momentum. What seem like innocuous turns become so critical to the narrative that they tie into the ruthless idea at hand: You never see the bullet that kills you."
— Nick Rogers, Midwest Film Journal
Support for the Moxie
Become A Member
