In 2000, Sandro do Nascimento, a young man from a poor background, held passengers on a bus hostage for four hours.

The movie examines the incident and life in the slums and favelas of Rio de Janeiro and how the criminal justice system in Brazil treats the lower classes.

Padilha in the film talks to former and current street children, Rio police officers, the Rio BOPE police tactical unit, Nascimento's family members and sociologists to gain insight into what led Nascimento to carry out the hijacking.

The website's consensus reads, "Bus 174 uses real-life tragedy as the grist for a gripping -- and terribly thought-provoking -- look at societal tensions and police violence.

"[3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".