Pelé

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Pelé

2021

1h 48m

Documentary

Biography

Sports & Fitness

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

This documentary feature tells the story of iconic footballer Pelé, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he attained. As well as unprecedented interview access to Pelé, the film includes astounding archive footage and interviews with legendary former team-mates including Zagallo, Jairzinho and Rivellino. The story looks back at the extraordinary 12-year period in which Pelé, the only man to win three World Cup titles, went from young superstar in 1958 to national hero in 1970; a radical yet turbulent era in Brazil's history.

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Critics Consensus

Perhaps at penalty for being overtly conventional, Pelé rewards fútbol fans with incredible archival footage of a king on the field while peripherally examining his relationship with Brazil's politics.

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

Mar 1, 2021

3/5

Pelé's contradictions are fascinating.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Feb 26, 2021

3/5

Nicholas and Tryhorn's new film for Netflix, though plenty laudatory, presents a contemplative Pelé that appears human after all

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

Feb 26, 2021

A fitting tribute to both the man and the myth, unwilling to turn a blind eye to his shortcomings and yet perceptive enough to recognize that his failings were secondary to his athletic brilliance.

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Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

Jan 16, 2025

3/5

Whatever the frustrations of this film, it is full of glorious archive footage of its subject playing football in his prime, which alone makes it well worth watching.

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Brett Doze

InSession Film

May 2, 2023

B

Once you get past the film’s refusal to dive into some of the pertinent areas the way it probably should, it is still a pleasurable experience as a gateway into learning more about Pelé and Brazil.

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William Tucker

But Why Tho?

Jan 16, 2023

10/10

Pelé is not a football documentary. It is the tale of one man and one nation, presented gloriously...So much of the history of Brazil is told all through the actions of a remarkable individual.

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Black B

@RT94109295 Oct 4, 2023

Un documental de este gran futbolista que nos da todo lo que fue en su tiempo y mas en especifico un panorama de lo que era Brasil en esa época.

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Gareth v

@geewah Jun 18, 2023

While it touches on some of the personal & professional issues Pele faced while playing in and for Brazil, it does fall flat in highlighting the sheer footballing genius of Pele. It's okay but should of been so much better

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Oct 3, 2021

Un excelente documental que aborda de manera sublime el ascenso y gloria de uno de los más grandes futbolistas.

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Jul 6, 2021

Documentary from the worlds greatest footballer. It's taking us through his incredible career. We mostly see old clips while he chat over it, sometimes he or other close to him get's interviewed. I found this film pretty boring quite fast. The guy was brillinat, but not very interesting to be fair. I fell out of it quite fast and it ended up being something that played in the backround. 4 ouf of 10 goals.

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Mar 3, 2021

I didn't finish it. IMO it became quite boring. But I'm not a big fan of football.

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Michael W

@mawilps Mar 1, 2021

This sports documentary was very good. The crew did a spectacular job on documenting everything about the soccer legend Pele and how he became not only a legend but a hero to his native country of Brazil. It gives you a deep insight into how Pele felt during his time as a soccer player and what he did to inspire a nation. If you're a Netflix member, you should definitely watch this documentary sometime. Even if you're not a soccer fan, you'll enjoy it.

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Ben Nicholas

Director

David Tryhorn

Director

Pelé

Self

Felipe Kim

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Synopsis

This documentary feature tells the story of iconic footballer Pelé, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he attained. As well as unprecedented interview access to Pelé, the film includes astounding archive footage and interviews with legendary former team-mates including Zagallo, Jairzinho and Rivellino. The story looks back at the extraordinary 12-year period in which Pelé, the only man to win three World Cup titles, went from young superstar in 1958 to national hero in 1970; a radical yet turbulent era in Brazil's history.

Director: Ben Nicholas, David Tryhorn
Production Co: Pitch Productions
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Sports & Fitness
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2021
Runtime: 1h 48m

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