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Senna

Play trailer 2:29 Poster for Senna PG-13 Released Aug 12, 2011 1h 44m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 120 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Ayrton Senna becomes a three-time Formula One racing champion and Brazil's national hero before his untimely death at age 34.
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Senna

Senna

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Critics Consensus

Even for filmgoers who aren't racing fans, Senna offers heart-pounding thrills -- and heartbreaking emotion.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Times (UK) Kapadia has crafted an intimate character study of the man that puts almost as much emphasis on his spirituality, his doubts and his relationship with his country as it does on his ability to drive a fast car. May 3, 2024 Full Review Deborah Ross The Spectator This is not just a good film - it's a great film: fascinating, exciting, nerve-wracking and profoundly moving. Aug 31, 2018 Full Review Christine Champ Film.com Captivating, chilling, and surprisingly sublime. Rated: A- Sep 9, 2011 Full Review Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly You don't have to know a lick about racing to become completely engrossed by 'Senna.' Rated: 5/5 Aug 8, 2020 Full Review Felicia Feaster Charleston City Paper As you might imagine, these first-person images of key races are some of the film's most pulse-quickening, awe-inspiring moments. Jan 17, 2020 Full Review Chris McCoy Memphis Flyer Kapadia's remarkably clear direction traces Senna's personal development from fresh-faced idealist fighting the Formula 1 bosses, to successful superstar to cynical competitor. Jan 8, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Marcos M Simplesmente espetacular para todos os amantes da F1 que nasceram antes dos anos 80. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Christian S Phenomenal! I love this movie. It set the bar high for documentary films, maybe too high. It is a work of art based on fact. So excellent! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review Sieme P Amazing movie. Actually had me, impressed, emotional and just fully invested in someone that lived and his events that happened almost 30 years ago. Just an amazing expression of his life. A caring and sometimes misunderstood racing driver who, for me, is the actual Greatest Of All Time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/24/22 Full Review charlie l Fantastic documentary - the pursuit of excellence is wrought with danger. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L Formula 1 seems like the weirdest sport to watch as a fan. On the one hand, you've got marvels of engineering, delicate control, dramatic personalities, and feats of daring as drivers risk serious injury going around a diverse range of exotic track circuits. On the other, you've got a pedantic point system to judge by, and it's really the only sport where outcomes seem to be routinely determined by actual legal battles. The flickering, flawed first-person nature of early '90s F1 racing footage hardly takes away from the excitement of this documentary (for me, an introduction to the sport), and that tone is contrasted against a genuine character study of a complex figure that was a mix of compassion, talent, ego, and faith. As with any documentary based on events relatively close to the time of release, Senna doesn't seem to have satisfied all those that actually appear in the film (Alain Prost in particular has criticized the film for the simplification of his relationship with the titular character, and the lack of a reconciliation prior to Senna's death). But where this film lacks in larger context, it makes up for it in sincerity and passion touching on Senna himself as a passionate and daring individual with the ambition to match his skill. Excellent editing making use of a broad range of source footage thanks to the illustrious profile of its subject. While it wasn't a sport that I personally felt a lot of connection to, it didn't matter in the end; director Asif Kapadia delivers not only excitement but empathy and care in his portrait of one of the most beloved athletes to have suffered a fatal accident in competition. Next time, I'll have to find a version with less dodgy subtitles... (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/12/22 Full Review jaime h excellent documentary! loved it Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Ayrton Senna becomes a three-time Formula One racing champion and Brazil's national hero before his untimely death at age 34.
Director
Asif Kapadia
Producer
Tim Bevan, Chris Berend, James Gay-Rees, Eric Fellner
Screenwriter
Manish Pandey
Distributor
PDA
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Working Title Films, StudioCanal
Rating
PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Disturbing Images)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 12, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6M
Runtime
1h 44m
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