Black Orpheus

1h 40m · 1959 · Directed by Marcel Camus · 3.8 / 5 on Letterboxd

Black Orpheus (1959) runs 1h 40m, directed by Marcel Camus. It is one of 3,647 films in the 100 Minute Movies catalog — every one rated 3.0 or higher by Letterboxd members and short enough to finish in an evening.

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Genres: Drama, Romance

Where to watch: HBO Max (US, checked 9 July 2026)