Traceroute (2016) User Reviews

Who or what is a nerd?

[Amy-Livingston · 8/10 · 25 April 2017]

Austrian artist and filmmaker Johannes Grenzfurthner tries to answer this question in his documentary Traceroute. It is a journey back in time (to the 1970s and 1980s) – and a trek across the USA, featuring interviews with many dedicated geeks about their worldview(s).

I would summarize Traceroute as a funny road movie and insightful commentary about covert culture, subversive science and fringe art.

You want to understand what's going on our planet? Nerds are the key...

A love letter to being different and being proud of it

[jessefrickinfurlong · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

A geeky nostalgic road movie (get it? traceroute? trace/route? get it? hop hop? nudge nudge?) that follows a pretty crazy dude across a pretty crazy country.

'The United States' were really important to young Johannes when growing up in 1980s Krautlandia, so he pays a visit as a pop culture pilgrim. And while Johannes is covering a topic that has been covered a million times before, he brings originality to the film...lots of.

You will either really like this doc, or you will be cursing me for wasting 2 hours of your life. Oh well. I'm just sad that he didn't make it to Oklahoma City.

The optimistic approach of a charismatic nerd

[rosafaden · 8/10 · 28 June 2017]

Johannes, the central character of the film, describes himself as a kid, who is fascinated by computers and technical experiments. In "Traceroute" you are joining this grown-up-boy on his adventurous journey to places and people, that not only nerds want to visit.

A very personal (and entertaining) film, which you want to show your nerdy kid to tell him/her: go your own way, everything will turn out fine.

I'm not sure...

[ginmillcowboy · 7/10 · 13 May 2017]

I'm not sure I need radioactive glass harvested by a crazy redneck.

I'm not sure I need to experience the energy drink wars of the early 2000s.

I'm not sure I need cheese made out of human bacteria.

I'm not sure I need burlesque art on the International Space Station.

I'm not sure I need to experience ontological panic in New Mexico.

But a guy being DICK-SLAPPED BY A DRAGON COCK? I NEED THAT! 7 of 10!

Beautiful soundtrack

[Peervo · 9/10 · 15 April 2017]

I'm a musician, and there is one thing I absolutely HATE: careless, sloppy, unsystematic soundtracks, especially in documentary films. I know that it's hard to discover good music, but: COME ON! If it's true, Traceroute had a *total* budget of $15,000. There are no excuses anymore!

A great soundtrack is more than just a collection of great songs. A great soundtrack pulls a story along while somehow effortlessly blending into the background. The right one can help define a movie; a terrible one can ruin an otherwise decent film.

Traceroute relies heavily on its amazing soundtrack to convey the mood of childhood and rebellion, nostalgia and counter-culture, traveling and arriving. There's a retro-electronic vibe present in most of the tracks, but also classical music, and all-time favorites like Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again.'

I'm glad the track list is here on IMDb. I need it for my own road trips!

Disappointingly superficial and irrelevant

[FlorisV · 5/10 · 24 October 2017]

Mostly highlighting Jonathan's journey throughout the US visiting all sorts of from nerdy subcultures, it's clear that he's putting way too much content in the movie and as a consequence can only touch upon it very superficially. Many topics are only discussed for about half a minute and then he already moves on. His documentary is sadly exactly like the MTV consumer culture he despises and from which nerds try to escape.

On top of this, Jonathan displays a rather average, mediocre sense of humor and keeps nagging about his pet peeve, capitalism, without ever disclosing why he has such a problem with it and he never bothers to come up with a remotely interesting alternative.

It would have been better to make a series to give each but also to cut out some less relevant topics which have absolutely nothing to do with nerd or counter culture. You get some nice music choices and some nice nerd trivia but it's not enough to make it worth the watch.

7000 miles of nerddom

[korn-32204 · 9/10 · 13 April 2017]

I discovered this documentary through Jason Scott, a digital historian and filmmaker, who is one of the people featured in Traceroute. Jason recommended the film, and now I understand why. It is a dense, colorful and challenging road trip through the history of nerd culture. Our host, artist and self-proclaimed nerd, Johannes Grenzfurthner shares his life, his obsessions and his worldview with us. I have to admit that I never heard of him before watching the film, but now I want to go grab a beer with him. Two thumbs up!

Don't confuse nerds with dorks...

[Angry_Santa · 1/10 · 13 April 2020]

... Because this is definitely about dorks.

This seems to be an ongoing theme among USians, so much so that it may even be a concerted ploy to discredit those who actually have functional grey matter.

Remember, kids...

Deep thinker with no time for socialisation = NERD. Social outcast with no redeeming merits = DORK.

A rollicking ride through a modern mind ..

[ibisum · 9/10 · 12 April 2017]

I was immediately drawn into this film.

As a certified old hacker, the Traceroute message really resonated with me as I watched Mr. Grenzfurthner explore the culture that made him - and me - what we are today. From the opening scenes, all the way to the credits, I have to say that I was hooked on the nerd, and what he had to say about things, pretty much word for word.

Thorough superlative command of geek language, Mr. Grenzfurthner's painstaking, Austrian-level attention to road-trip details provides much to unpack. Who hasn't wanted to take the Golden Nerd Tour from West to East coasts, visiting all the important sites in hacker culture history, with rockets and pornstar-cum-hackers and aliens and movie stars, obscure scientists and techno legends alike, guiding the way?

I'm sure I'd sign up for this mythical bus tour in my old age, as long as we could have a slightly more geriatric Mr. Grenzfurthner as tour guide, and by then I'm quite confident he would have found ever more exceptional means to bake true meaning into the simplest of hacker things.

Lick the prop! See this movie!

From the Command Line to the Highway

[nick-43424 · 9/10 · 13 April 2017]

It's funny that I find myself explaining what "Traceroute" is, this command line utility that's almost as old as the Internet itself. Basically, it's used to show how your packages reach a certain destination on the internet from your computer.

Now I almost feel like using this movie to describe what Traceroute is. Johannes goes on a kind of coming-of-age journey though he's a full blown adult, tracking the origins and path of his own nerd personality through visits to friends, heroes and important landmarks throughout the US.

Johannes knows how to entertain using himself as the material as well as how to drag friends, associates and circumstances to round out the whole journey. Personally, I'm clamoring for a sequel!

(I'd give it a 10 out of 10, but I'm in the movie for a blink so it can't be perfect.)

Nerds/gender/sex

[darylfrench · 9/10 · 23 April 2017]

I saw Traceroute as part of a lecture series about 'gender and tech.' I was skeptical first, but Johannes's approach is very compelling. His way of criticizing and questioning white male nerd culture (including himself) is spot on. Johannes is a political and artistic activist, and never forgets his agenda: societal change. The film presents a plethora of interesting debates and features exceptional people, and many interviewees are women/transgender (like Kit Stubbs and Sandy Stone).

Drive me to your leader!

[anton-korngold · 9/10 · 22 April 2017]

A captivating documentary, not only about nerds, but the human condition: obsession, longing, hubris, greatness. Grenzfurthner introduces himself as a tour guide through nerdvana, very ironic and self-aware, but also deeply honest about his upbringing, his interests and his political views. Some of the places, subjects and people are bizarre, some insightful and some politically and socially challenging, but always fun. That is the brilliance of Traceroute.

A maverick essay

[thatiguanodon · 9/10 · 21 April 2017]

Traceroute is an autobiographical film. You might even call it a cinematic essay. Johannes talks about his own past and future, but also the past and future of a class that is now dominating the globe: the nerds. There are many films for (and about) nerds out there, but this one is not about Superman and Star Wars and Donkey Kong, but science, politics, even sex. It is wonderful to see how candid the film approaches the subject matter. Being a nerd means: creativity, visions, openness to experimentation, subversion - and not only regarding program code and video games, but regarding society, values and ideologies.

Two thumbs up from a non-geek, non-nerd fan

[vfl-49068 · 9/10 · 30 March 2017]

I'm not much of a geek or a nerd but I love good films, especially when they take me places I'd otherwise not see or experience.

Johannes Grenzfurthner is a self-described lifelong nerd who takes us on an informative and humorous road trip across the US, visiting many of the sacred sites of Geekdom. Area 51! The JPL (uh, kind of)! The Very Large Array! And many more…

From the West Coast to the East Coast, Johannes meets and interviews interesting and unusual people, among them a sex-worker nerd, a guy who designed and distributes an easy-access Geiger counter, a woman who sells Trinitite (look it up), a compulsive archivist/collector of obsolete computer equipment, and many more…

Grenzfurthner was born in 1975, around the same time personal computing and digital tech was born. They grew up together, so to speak. Now that all of us are swimming in the deep end of this technological pool, who better to give us a personal tour back to our future(s)? If you're Johannes' age or older you'll enjoy the walk down memory lane. If you're a younger person you'll marvel at the primitive equipment that launched the Digital Revolution. And everyone will get a glimpse of Upcoming Possibilities.

The charm of TRACEROUTE is that the very likable Grenzfurthner keeps it playful, never taking his subject (and, more importantly, HIMSELF) too seriously. This is a fun and light-hearted nerd/geek road film you don't have to be a nerd or geek to enjoy, and if you're not careful you'll actually learn something.

Highly recommended.

A journey into oneself

[petralumper · 9/10 · 13 April 2017]

Most reviewers focus on the bizarre locations and interesting people that Johannes Grenzfurthner, the narrator-protagonist of "Traceroute", meets in his debut as a documentary filmmaker. That's interesting and fun and already way up on the scale, but what I find really outstanding is how he treats himself, as the main subject of the film. You might call it pretentious, but it truly isn't. Johannes is dissecting himself alive, and sometimes it almost hurts to watch. He is, even though he is telling it in an ironic way, very honest about his past, his interests, his politics. I mean, the film starts with his birth and ends with his (staged) *death*, just because he gets into a "nerd fight" about creationism. It's a never-before-seen finale in a "documentary" film, and very spot on. "Traceroute" is a film about accepting yourself, and others -- and this is beautiful.

Funny, poignant, entertaining

[MichaelJEpstein · 10/10 · 12 April 2017]

Traceroute is a wonderful journey through a life history that is very relatable for me. It explores various facets of nerd culture's evolution over the past forty years. It's intellectual, humorous, absurd, entertaining, and poignant. The production seamlessly and unapologetically blends styles, camera types, storytelling approaches, and content. It's a fun movie to watch and presents a nearly agendaless examination of the goods and bads, the beautiful and the toxic, and the celebrated and the outcast.

Nerds, behold!

[brubaker-979-659099 · 10/10 · 10 November 2016]

Traceroute is a really well, put together documentary film. It is shot nicely with good sound and edited in a sublime manner to captivate the audience and keep us interested throughout the two hour run time. Not once did I ever get bored, I joined Johannes and his companions on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I totally enjoyed my time with them.

If you do so happen to be lucky enough to be given the chance to watch this documentary, embrace the geek in yourself and make sure you do. I did and I REALLY loved it.

Traceroute – a fantastic documentary, though I will never look at cheese the same way again. Bleugh.

A drive into (nerd) history

[bubble-38295 · 9/10 · 15 April 2017]

A highly enjoyable documentary that doesn't only show us a variety of crazy intellectuals but may also invite us for a different way to observe culture and technology. I haven't read nearly enough books to understand half of the stuff they are talking about but the movie is so full with graphical gems and music/movie references that i still had a blast watching it.

The whole thing is a piece of art that, just in the style you would expect it, coming from monochrom. Also, the documentary style kind of reminded me of some of Werner Herzogs movies... Lo and Behold for example. Very, very, very good!!

waiting for part 2

[heidihu · 10/10 · 11 April 2017]

usually nerds are introverts and it's hard to learn anything about them or their passions as long as you're not sharing them. not so Johannes. He might be the most extrovert nerd you can find. so much that he even produced a movie about himself including all the icons of his nerdiverse.

i'd like to see more. i think this should be seen as the pilot for some series ... at least i hope so.

This is Innovative breathtaking rapid-fire filmmaking raw guerrilla style

[brad_gibson · 10/10 · 13 April 2017]

Traceroute is the most fun I've ever had watching a documentary. If you're a nerd this is the road trip you've always wanted to take with your smartest, geekiest friend. You're not going to want to come home. It's Cosmos. It's DragonCon on wheels. It's your favorite sex fantasy. It's alcohol soaked nonviolent subversive protest mobile and WiFi linked. It's On The Road updated with tech, science, pseudoscience, sex, and fandom. This is Sheldon Cooper, Stan Lee, and your favorite Suicide Girls showing up at your door with an electric supercar, a bag of legal weed, and a cooler full of jello shots. No, this is Doc Brown showing up in the DeLorean saying "Where we're going we don't need roads." This is Buckaroo Banzai texting to ask you if everything is OK with the alien spacecraft from Planet 10 or should we just go ahead and destroy Russia?

You say yes.

Refreshing doc about nerd culture

[unabomber1111 · 9/10 · 16 April 2017]

The viewer is guided on a journey through different stories and experiences of nerd culture and these all accumulate to define how places and people have shaped and inspired filmmaker Johannes Grenzfurthner's art and politics.

Traceroute's quirky and ironic humour is effective throughout and this is showcased from the beginning when Grenzfurthner introduces the first stop on the road trip, San Francisco, as a place of endless opportunity, as well as homelessness. Within the various interviews that take place, there is a real sense that this is a collaborative exploration of creativity: of the old and the new, the past and the present, and the traditional and the digital. The use of photography and drawings interspersed between the interviews with various people associated with nerd culture shows an artistic approach to the material and these images act as reflective snapshots of moments in time, reinforcing the importance of looking back to the past as well as looking forward to the future of the digital age.

Holistic, broad treatment of nerd culture

[ishan-49104 · 9/10 · 12 April 2017]

The problem with "nerd culture" is that it neglects politics; the problem with most politics is that it neglects the implications that technology has, at least in this day and age. Traceroute combines the two, and for that, it's valuable. And don't be discouraged by the thought "I don't even know this person, why do I care about his life or journey?" Don't care about the person; the journey has elements and themes that everyone will find relevant. Not only is it very informative about things in science, tech and culture you probably didn't know about, but it weaves that together into questions about greater social systems that are universal for everyone in society. Only complaint is that I at least would have enjoyed a bit more time spent on the East Coast, but apart from that, completely worth checking out!

Oh geek where art thou

[emilio-lizardo · 9/10 · 18 April 2017]

I loved this flick. Although it has elements of nerd culture as stated, it really reaches for a much greater scope of things and ends up being a cool road trip film, visiting all places awesome. From toys to gadgets, aliens to movies, something for everyone really is contained within these 2 hours. We even get an English translation of the directors name! How cool is that? Grenzfurthner has spliced together so many different elements into one big successful party that I, for one, am quite pleased with the results... as I nudge you over to the left side of the screen... to watch the trailer and connect. As you do please keep one thing in mind. No licking the "Watch Trailer" button.

Very entertaining analysis of nerd culture

[macborner · 9/10 · 25 September 2016]

Traceroute is squeezing a lot of (cult) content and philosophy into an engaging film format -- and it is amazing to see how professional and effective the rhythm of visually embedding the (no)storyline unfolds. Achieving this is a real feat, considering that the film is a dense, essayistic road movie without a real "plot" besides driving from A to B. Traceroute works because it is lead by a charismatic (and self-ironic) character, chasing and questioning his own dreams and desires -- and who tries to analyze the state of our civilization. Traceroute doesn't follow the classic structure of a documentary, but succeeds to present a well-crafted pastiche of the past and future of nerd culture. Recommended.

Superfun, even if your knowledge of the whole subject is super limited

[lauramonch · 10/10 · 9 April 2017]

As someone who was a supernerd and then kind of just accidentally stopped being one (all before the age of 15), I've kind of felt disconnected to the 'hard core' nerd- side of life. I don't get 50% of the references my nerd/geek friends make, I haven't watched the majority of mandatory nerd films and I wish I could persuade myself to take up online gaming, but I just can't be arsed (pardon my French).

HOWEVER

This was a super fun documentary, very candid and not overly stylized. Of course: you need to have a certain interest in the subject and it helps if you know the things they're referencing to. But I've found that it's also extremely funny because of the very sharp sense of humour and the diversity of the people the visit. Nicely done!