--- title: "Diego Maradona: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/diego-maradona/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/diego-maradona" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 19 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Diego Maradona (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 19 reviews: 12 positive, 4 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Diego Maradona, with praise concentrated on its archival footage and the editing that shapes it into an absorbing account of sporting brilliance, fame and decline. The reviews repeatedly single out the intimacy of the material, especially quiet glimpses of loneliness away from the pitch. For many, those moments give the documentary emotional force, while the football footage makes Maradona’s talent and the pressures surrounding him vivid. The spread is wide, however, and even several favourable reviews find that Maradona’s inner life remains underexplored. Reservations centre on length, limited new revelations and insufficient attention to political context and personal responsibility. Variety admires the archive’s immediacy but finds the film sprawling and insufficiently revealing; Little White Lies goes further on responsibility, arguing that it oversimplifies Maradona by presenting him as corrupted by others. The disagreement is chiefly over how much the footage explains, rather than how compelling it is. ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A-. 19 May 2019. Festival review. Kohn praises the film as a gripping, absorbing account of Maradona’s rise and fall, though its pace can overwhelm and some details are shortchanged. He singles out the hypnotic archival footage, especially a silent moment that captures Maradona’s sadness. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/diego-maradona-review-asif-kapadia-cannes-2019-1202140734/) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2019. Abele finds the documentary bracing and well-controlled, despite its slightly overlong running time. He particularly praises its hypnotic use of archival footage and the haunting portrait of Maradona’s isolation. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-09-19/diego-maradona-review-documentary-soccer) ## The New Yorker — Daniel Alarcón Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2019. Alarcón finds the documentary a remarkable, harrowing portrait of genius, fame, and decline. He especially praises its intimate moments, which reveal Maradona’s loneliness beyond the spectacle of his athletic talent. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-tragedy-of-diego-maradona-one-of-soccers-greatest-stars) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Rating 4/5. 20 May 2019. Festival review. Sexton finds the documentary masterful in its construction, though Maradona himself remains opaque. He praises Kapadia’s painstaking use of original footage and singles out a silent, lonely Christmas-party sequence as especially telling. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/cannes-2019-diego-maradona-review-a-story-of-stardom-in-which-the-man-himself-remains-opaque-a4146521.html) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2019. The critic finds the documentary fascinating and essential viewing for football fans, though somewhat short on genuinely surprising revelations. They praise its vast archive, energetic editing and intimate access to Maradona, which bring his pressures and contradictions to life. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/diego-maradona-asif-kapadia-archive-documentary-star-view) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 9 May 2019. The critic finds the documentary mesmeric and insightful, calling it a work of real class. They praise its raw portrait of Maradona’s life off the pitch alongside his soccer skills. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/diego-maradona) ## Empire — Terri White Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2019. The review finds the documentary impressive and tragic, though it never fully reveals Maradona as a person. It praises Kapadia’s precise, intelligent editing while faulting the film for leaving its subject’s inner life underexplored. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/diego-maradona-review/) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2019. Festival review. The standfirst gives a positive box-office outlook for Kapadia’s documentary. It singles out the film’s potential to extend Maradona’s “hand of God” appeal to audiences. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/diego-maradona-cannes-review/5139674.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2019. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the documentary gripping, capturing the euphoria and catastrophe of Maradona’s career. He praises the compelling archival footage but faults the film for lacking new material and political context. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/20/diego-maradona-review-asif-kapadia-documentary-cannes-film-festival) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2019. The page capture does not expose the critic’s verdict. It also provides no basis for identifying what the critic praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/movies/diego-maradona-review.html) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 3/3/3. 11 June 2019. The review finds the documentary entertaining but ultimately oversimplified and unpersuasive. It faults the film for lightly scrutinising Maradona’s choices off the pitch and portraying him as corrupted by others. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/diego-maradona) ## Radio Times — Stephen Carty Rating 3/5. The review regards the film as a celebration of Maradona’s extraordinary footballing talent that also confronts his scandals. It praises the archive-based approach for showing both his triumphs and controversies without excusing his behaviour. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-g739l4/diego-maradona/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2019. Festival review. Gleiberman finds the documentary engrossing but sprawling, and less revealing than Kapadia’s stronger work. He praises the immediacy of its archival footage while faulting it for leaving Maradona’s inner life and key questions insufficiently explored. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/diego-maradona-review-cannes-film-festival-1203219438/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2019. Festival review. Dalton finds the documentary solidly made but weaker and more cautious than Kapadia’s earlier films. He praises the energetic archival footage, while faulting the film for skimming over Maradona’s personal and political complexities. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/diego-maradona-review-1212086/) ## NME Rating ★★★★. The critic calls the documentary absorbing and entertaining, though it never fully reveals Maradona as a person. They praise Kapadia’s well-constructed use of archival footage to chart his rise and fall. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/diego-maradona-film-review-2490305) ## The Skinny — Caitlin Quinlan Rating ★★★★. 4 June 2019. Quinlan finds the documentary interrogative and sharp, though she feels it could explore some of Maradona’s troubles in greater depth. She praises the footage of Napoli’s footballing chaos and the captivating beauty of Maradona’s skill. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/diego-maradona) ## Film Stories — Hannah Turner Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2019. Turner finds the documentary engaging and strongly recommends it, while noting it is less emotionally devastating than Kapadia’s earlier films. She praises its intimate archival footage and complex portrayal of Maradona’s rise and decline. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/diego-maradona-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The page is blocked by anti-crawler protection, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint from the review is visible. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/diego-maradona-cannes-review-20190520/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the documentary competent but overlong and ultimately forgettable. Fresh interviews and its exploration of Maradona’s ties to the Neapolitan mafia provide some of its most original material. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/maradona-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/diego-maradona.md