Heleno

Heleno

Passion. Decadence. Destruction.

Directed by José Henrique Fonseca

Produced by Zola Filmes, BNDES

2011116 min6.2 / 10

A visually sumptuous noir-inflected biography of a Brazilian football legend whose brilliance and charisma gave way to self-destruction and tragedy.

José Henrique Fonseca crafts an ambitious and long overdue homage to a central icon in Brazil’s 20th century history. Reminiscent of film noir classics, the biopic tells the glorious and tragic story of the legendary football striker Heleno de Freitas. The sumptuous black and white cinematography reflects the chic life of Rio de Janeiro in the 1940s as it fell under the spell of sports royalty. Heleno was no doubt one of the most popular players of his time for his bravura in the field and magnificent goal-scoring that lead the Botafogo team to the top and himself into a vicious downward spiral.

Questions people ask

  • Is Heleno sad? Yes, very. More sad than 98% of films.

  • Does Heleno end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 83% of films.

  • Is Heleno easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of films.

  • Is Heleno scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.

  • Is Heleno violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

34/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

You have seen this shape before.

Rarity95

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise5

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love30

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Heleno

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Heleno

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Heleno, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Heleno, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Heleno, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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