Senna
Producers Distribution Agency (PDA) | Release Date: August 12, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews
Positive:
28
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsSep 2, 2011
With such supercharged material under the hood, a magnetic man behind the wheel and a nimble director manning the pits, Senna is simply the greatest sports film I have ever seen. Read full review
100
Time OutJoshua RothkopfAug 10, 2011
Phenomenally sad yet exhilarating. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubAlison WillmoreAug 10, 2011
Senna is considered one of motorsporting's greats, but Asif Kapadia's film also makes it clear he was a sort of artist, his talent accompanied by an unquenchable thirst for excellence and a belief that racing offered him a connection to God. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumAug 10, 2011
With exemplary use of archival footage, director Asif Kapadia expertly contrasts episodes of adrenaline-rush speed with moments of reflective slow motion to capture the addictive thrill and danger of the sport, as well as the personal values of the humble, spiritual sportsman. Read full review
90
SalonAndrew O'HehirAug 12, 2011
You don't have to know or care anything about Formula One auto racing, or ever have heard of the legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, to become fully drawn into this film's universe. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 11, 2011
A documentary with the pace of a thriller, a story of motors and machines that is beyond compelling because of the intensely human story it tells. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternAug 11, 2011
What's most rewarding, though, is that Mr. Senna speaks extensively and eloquently for himself, and reveals himself to be an eminently human hero. He's thoughtful, even philosophical, about decisions that deprive him of seemingly well-earned victories. Read full review
88
Washington PostAnn HornadayAug 25, 2011
Senna is what film critics might call a TMSI movie, as in: Trust me, see it. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaAug 18, 2011
Exhilarating and tragic. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsAug 18, 2011
The film is a remarkable experience on a purely sensory level, and the best of its archival footage - on the track, in private meetings with drivers before the races, from the white-knuckle, over-the-shoulder perspective of Senna himself - is pure gold. Read full review
85
NPRIan BuckwalterAug 12, 2011
The truth may not be quite that simple, but Kapadia's slightly ecstatic version of it makes for gripping viewing. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn LevyAug 25, 2011
In some ways, Senna is as pure and clean as the man's sport: as actor/racer Paul Newman liked to say, the winners of auto races are determined, unlike movies, by objective criteria. And although it's a subjective judgment, it's hard to see how anyone wouldn't be absorbed by this fascinating film about a formidable driver and man. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzAug 25, 2011
Kapadia does an outstanding job of getting at what Senna meant to Brazilians and to his sport. The man himself was a tougher nut to crack, but maybe that's best. A little mystery suits a good story, and Senna is definitely that. Read full review
80
Village VoiceNick PinkertonAug 9, 2011
The aura of a life lived in extremis, undergirded by faith, clings to the film. Even nonbelievers in Senna's sport and church will find it difficult to visit Kapadia's cinematic shrine without emotion. Read full review
80
VarietyJohn AndersonAug 8, 2011
Footage from an onboard camera thrillingly places the viewer in Senna's lap, and soberingly includes the accident that claimed his life. Read full review
80
EmpireDan JolinAug 8, 2011
Ambitiously constructed, deeply compelling, thrilling and in no way only for those who like watching cars drive in circles. A worthy paean to a true talent. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyAug 8, 2011
Feels lavish by normal documentary standards and will have great appeal in such F1 hotbeds as Europe and South America. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAug 25, 2011
Undeniably gripping stuff. Read full review
75
Orlando SentinelRoger MooreSep 21, 2011
Senna himself gives it its heart. I just wish I'd gotten a better handle on who he was before the film's checkered flag falls. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenAug 18, 2011
The crash, lethal in an eye-blink, was hard to watch when I saw it live on television, and it's not any easier here. The day was clear – no rain in sight. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley MorrisAug 18, 2011
The movie's assemblage of audio interviews poured mostly over astounding race footage is fit for a shrine. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerAug 12, 2011
Not surprisingly, a documentary constructed entirely from newsreel footage proves inadequate to the task of sounding the depths of someone as complicated or driven (pun intended) as Senna. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineNick SchagerAug 8, 2011
Asif Kapadia's documentary is ultimately less affecting and insightful on a universal thematic scale than on an individual, personal one. Read full review
70
SlateDana StevensAug 18, 2011
Though the film immerses us in the details of Senna's life and the world of Formula One for 104 thrilling minutes, we leave still wondering both who Senna was and how Formula One racing works. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderBen SachsAug 18, 2011
Much of the film's impact comes from the nimble editing of Chris King (whose previous work includes Exit Through the Gift Shop) and Gregers Sall. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen HoldenAug 11, 2011
As a personality profile, Senna is sketchy at best. Born into a well-to-do family in São Paulo, Brazil, Senna pursued the sport from a young age with a maniacal zeal. He comes across as a fatalistic daredevil and as a man of the people, his wealthy background aside. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertAug 17, 2011
A documentary that does the job it sets out to do. I wish it had tried for more. It is a competent TV sports doc, the sort you'd expect to see on ESPN. Unless you are a big fan of Senna or Formula One, I don't know why you'd want to pay first-run prices to see it. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle SmithAug 12, 2011
It isn't every day that one witnesses, via a camera mounted with the driver, some of the final images in a man's life before he crashes into a wall at enormous speed. Whether you'll feel good about yourself after watching is up to you. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierAug 12, 2011
His years of success aren't as gripping as Kapadia, and Senna's legend, would have us believe. He had no demons besides fame, and no hurdles besides a recklessness that went with the territory. Read full review
50
ObserverUna LaMarcheAug 9, 2011
Senna's accomplishments are impressive, but his story seems more suited to an ESPN special than a feature-length film. Read full review
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