Pele: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Pelé: Birth of a Legend is a sweeping, emotional biographical drama that traces Edson “Pelé” Arantes do Nascimento’s rise from poverty in the São Paulo favelas to becoming the teenage star who led Brazil to its first World Cup in 1958. The film follows Pelé’s coming-of-age journey: raw talent discovered on dusty streets, grueling training, clashes with coaches and teammates, family pressures, and the enormous weight of national expectation as a 17-year-old on the world stage. Watching the movie, you’ll experience high-energy soccer sequences that aim to capture the speed and creativity of Pelé’s play, intercut with quieter, intimate moments that reveal his humanity — the doubts, the sacrifices, and the bonds that shaped him. The cinematography and production design evoke mid-century Brazil, from cramped neighborhoods and noisy markets to raucous stadiums, giving a vivid sense of place and era. Emotional performances and a stirring musical backdrop underline the drama: the thrill of breakthroughs, the tension of big matches, and the uplifting payoff of triumph. The film balances sports action with social context, touching on class, race, and the power of sport to unite a country. It’s an inspirational, at times bittersweet portrait of a young athlete thrust into global fame, and viewers can expect both the visceral excitement of football and the quieter rewards of a character-driven story about perseverance and identity. Who it’s for: fans of biopics and sports dramas, anyone curious about soccer history or Brazilian culture, and viewers seeking an uplifting, human story about talent, pressure, and the making of a legend.

Actors: Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta

Directors: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist

Runtime: 107 min

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport

5.4 /10 39 /100 7.1 /10 5.5 /10