City of Men
Two inseparable Rio teenagers confront gang upheaval and the damaging legacies of fathers they barely know.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- harrowing
- unflinching
- intimate
- serious film night
- socially conscious viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a brutal, unflinching portrait of favela life balanced by a touching account of youths forced into adulthood.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Acerola's struggle as a young father runs in parallel with Laranjinha's search for his imprisoned father while the favela leadership collapses.
Morro da Sinuca structures the characters' housing, family obligations, gang politics, and forced displacement.
Laranjinha approaches eighteen while pursuing his father's past, and Acerola must raise Clayton alone after Cris leaves for work.
Laranjinha's father is imprisoned for killing during a robbery, while the boys' present lives are disrupted by their fathers' pasts.
Films like City of Men, and why
City of God
shared Brazilian favela setting, crime drama tension, and coming-of-age focus on youths facing forced adulthood
Pixote
shared urban poverty, gang conflict, morally pressured adolescents, and harrowing social realism
La Haine
shared crime-centered coming-of-age drama, father-child wounds, and intimate working-class realism
Elite Squad
shared volatile street conflict, male friendship, and bleak social examination of marginalized urban communities
Movie Details
- Director
- Paulo Morelli
- Release Date
- 2007-08-31
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (308)
Cast
- Douglas Silva
- Darlan Cunha
- Jonathan Haagensen
- Rodrigo de Odé
- Camila Monteiro
- Naima Silva
- Eduardo 'BR' Piranha
- Luciano Vidigal
- Pedro Henrique
- Vítor Oliveira
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Essential
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is City of Men about?
- Two inseparable Rio teenagers confront gang upheaval and the damaging legacies of fathers they barely know.
- What is City of Men like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of City of Men as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is City of Men violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in City of Men as brutal.
- What did critics think of City of Men?
- Critics broadly found the film a brutal, unflinching portrait of favela life balanced by a touching account of youths forced into adulthood.
- Which films are like City of Men?
- Films with a similar feel include City of God, Pixote, La Haine, and Elite Squad.
- How long is City of Men?
- City of Men runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch City of Men?
- In United States, City of Men streams on Paramount Plus Essential.
