I totally believed it! I'm so gullible. I followed the whole thing to the end thinking that I'd one day go to Italy and see this exhibit. I'm such a dork!!
91 Reviews
I was fooled...
inthewilderness30 January 2018
NOT A DOCUMENTARY
bianca-leek3 January 2018
Though well done this is a fictional piece. All sculptures removed from the sea are created by the artist Damien Hurst. Do documentaries have to be based on fact? I feel they do but each to there own. I just don't think it should be branded Documentary.
Uncovering 'Unbelievable" History
Jeg_er_Bertie27 January 2018
Like others, I assumed this was a factual documentary up to the end. (However, I follow a lot of science and history news, and was confused how I had never heard about this before). Not only that, but there were several instances where I was convinced (during the first half) that this was a docu-drama. There are a few things Hirst mentions about history which gives the film some support. History is highly subjective and "written by the winners," as the phrase goes. I do not view this film as a test of gullibility, but rather, as a way for people to consider that the truths of history, in the end, are almost always skewed due to subjectivity. Some of the artwork is stunning, but it gets out of hand. Although, knowing this is not real, I will have a hard time recommending it to others, especially people who are not familiar with Hirst's work. I barely knew about him from a previous documentary I saw covering his artwork.
Nice Fictional Archaoelogy With Jaw-Dropping Diverse Artifacts
AudioFileZ5 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
One man's art is another man's...grand fictional story. Artist Damien Hurst perpetuates a fantastic hoax as shown here in the supposed recovery of the ship "Unbelievable" (translation of Greek name). The ship wasn't found, the artifacts were creations of Hurst over a decade of work, and this documentary is pure fiction (there's Easter Eggs as well as ample clues this isn't real). . If you can do it this well and on this huge scale it may not be archaeology but, it just may be amazing art? Watch this mostly straightly told fake-documentary and decide ever how you like. It's a pretty good epic tale in itself.
This IS a documentary, just not the one you think it is....
ladybug253511 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"In 2017 artist Damien Hurst organized a solo exhibition. The title of the exhibition is "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable", purporting to present ancient treasures from a sunken Greek ship, with findings that range from the Ancient Egyptian-alike items to Disney characters reproductions, incrustated of shells and corals." A paraphrased excerption from the artist's biography on Wikipedia.
The artist (and by extension this documentary) very cleverly and openly plays on the role of belief in providing context and history to the objects of our lives, and in the mythos we imbue into those objects. Moreover, the psuedo-documentary of an imaginary history for a very real documentary of the real artist's very real exhibition reflects a troubling state in modern media--both in film and social media, of the blurring--often deliberate blurring between reality and fiction. This blurring can be constructive, informative (as when re-enactments are used to illustrate events), thought-provoking (as in this case), imaginative, manipulative, or even deliberate propaganda for the support of a particular agenda. This documentary states at the very beginning that it is exploring the role of belief, and that is exactly what it does. There is no hidden agenda here (though it is subversive), though you could miss this message if not paying close enough attention. This is not a movie that is pretending to be based on "real events" just to aid the audience into buying into what is usually some kind of supernatural horror film.
Unlike some claims, the film IS in fact a documentary, though not of the recovery of these artefacts from the bottom of the sea. It in fact TELLS you that what you are seeing isn't fact but they do such a great job at duplicating your typical documentary style, and the objects are so bueatifully done that it is easy to suspend your disbelief (and who really listens to the narrators in these things anyway, right?). There are hints dropped throughout that these objects are not really from their purported date--some of the statues for example could not possibly be from such an early period (statues from well before the end, and not the one that every spoiler likes to crow--or complain about) and anyone who watches shipwreck recoveries, or is familiar with them will easily recognize clues that not is all as it seems.
I understand why some people feel angry at being fooled; it isn't pleasant to realize that you've been "tricked". In fact when I first started watching, I was upset that it was classified as a "documentary" when it clearly was not portraying real events. But when you consider the full context, to say this is not a documentary is quite bluntly wrong.
The artist (and by extension this documentary) very cleverly and openly plays on the role of belief in providing context and history to the objects of our lives, and in the mythos we imbue into those objects. Moreover, the psuedo-documentary of an imaginary history for a very real documentary of the real artist's very real exhibition reflects a troubling state in modern media--both in film and social media, of the blurring--often deliberate blurring between reality and fiction. This blurring can be constructive, informative (as when re-enactments are used to illustrate events), thought-provoking (as in this case), imaginative, manipulative, or even deliberate propaganda for the support of a particular agenda. This documentary states at the very beginning that it is exploring the role of belief, and that is exactly what it does. There is no hidden agenda here (though it is subversive), though you could miss this message if not paying close enough attention. This is not a movie that is pretending to be based on "real events" just to aid the audience into buying into what is usually some kind of supernatural horror film.
Unlike some claims, the film IS in fact a documentary, though not of the recovery of these artefacts from the bottom of the sea. It in fact TELLS you that what you are seeing isn't fact but they do such a great job at duplicating your typical documentary style, and the objects are so bueatifully done that it is easy to suspend your disbelief (and who really listens to the narrators in these things anyway, right?). There are hints dropped throughout that these objects are not really from their purported date--some of the statues for example could not possibly be from such an early period (statues from well before the end, and not the one that every spoiler likes to crow--or complain about) and anyone who watches shipwreck recoveries, or is familiar with them will easily recognize clues that not is all as it seems.
I understand why some people feel angry at being fooled; it isn't pleasant to realize that you've been "tricked". In fact when I first started watching, I was upset that it was classified as a "documentary" when it clearly was not portraying real events. But when you consider the full context, to say this is not a documentary is quite bluntly wrong.
An interesting concept - with a bit of good old fashioned imagination
antony-125 February 2019
I clicked on it in Netflix assuming it was a documentary - and of course that is my assumption. It's clearly listed as a drama.
I kept thinking it smelt suspect... everything was too good to be true. The shots too good. I'd not heard anyone talk about it. The notion that you'd have all this film crew for something that hadn't even been confirmed yet etc. But I carried on with it assuming it was me being cynical and they were using artistic licence.
It was at the 40 minute mark that I couldn't take it any longer and knew it must be fake and I hopped to IMDb and found out its true nature.
I kinda admire that. This is art transgressing boundaries. Cutting through the realms of dross that Netflix almost force feeds to us. To inspire a bit of magic.
All the people outraged, what else would you be doing? Watching American Celebrities Making Cakes With Clowns?
I admire its brazenness - he did say it was the ship of the Unbelievable. It was there to see, in plain sight.
My main complaint is I like to learn, particularly about the Roman era - and is any of it true? That's my one concern. Were any of the stories true? If we're creating fictional Roman history when there's so much that can be learnt in a great Mary Beard book that's a bit of a shame.
But all too often we have so much wonder in our lives, outside our doors... but we're not interested unless it's magic or a blog is telling us we must Instagram it. This is a little reminder that there is wonder out there being made every day.
I kept thinking it smelt suspect... everything was too good to be true. The shots too good. I'd not heard anyone talk about it. The notion that you'd have all this film crew for something that hadn't even been confirmed yet etc. But I carried on with it assuming it was me being cynical and they were using artistic licence.
It was at the 40 minute mark that I couldn't take it any longer and knew it must be fake and I hopped to IMDb and found out its true nature.
I kinda admire that. This is art transgressing boundaries. Cutting through the realms of dross that Netflix almost force feeds to us. To inspire a bit of magic.
All the people outraged, what else would you be doing? Watching American Celebrities Making Cakes With Clowns?
I admire its brazenness - he did say it was the ship of the Unbelievable. It was there to see, in plain sight.
My main complaint is I like to learn, particularly about the Roman era - and is any of it true? That's my one concern. Were any of the stories true? If we're creating fictional Roman history when there's so much that can be learnt in a great Mary Beard book that's a bit of a shame.
But all too often we have so much wonder in our lives, outside our doors... but we're not interested unless it's magic or a blog is telling us we must Instagram it. This is a little reminder that there is wonder out there being made every day.
MOCKumemtary
heatheremarsh4 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
While it was beautiful, I don't appreciate the false advertising in calling this a documentary. As someone who loves documentaries I was greatly disappointed as the show ends with a "1st century statue" of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse.
Yes, the film is a piece of art. But it is NOT a documentary.
So bold!
KittieC19 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers spoilers spoilers.
Damien Hirst extends and augments the genius of his 2017 exhibition Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable (Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi - Venice) with this fictional telling of the resurrection of the 'antiquities' it contains.
The film shouldn't be viewed in isolation from that exhibition which applied layers and layers of questions about art, legend, history, acquisition, ego and - importantly - belief onto the pieces produced by Hirst, firstly in their 'found' format, and then in their commercialised incarnations. The film and the exhibition are companion partners; twin tricks in Hirst's game to provoke us to question what it is that we believe. In the film, Hirst repeatedly brings us back to belief being the thing that occupies the spaces between the things we 'know'. And then of course, he shows us how what we 'know' is actually a pretty slippery concept. And when the 'known' becomes mis-shapen, so too do those belief spaces between them.
I digress. The film is well done. Its high production values make up for the sometimes iffy exchanges between the participants. It felt a bit like watching a really good illusionist - when it is done well, you're inclined to be incredulous, even if you know it's not really magic.
But it's impossible to really review this as a film, when it's actually part of the art piece Hirst started on a decade ago and has realised beautifully across its various domains. I didn't see the exhibition (I wish!) but to see the pieces presented in the film both in their pretend origin on the sea floor, and then in their exhibited format was terrific even if, frankly, some of them are bonkers.
I wouldn't pay 8 million quid for Hirst's work, but for his playfulness, boldness and humour I give him a big round of applause!
Damien Hirst extends and augments the genius of his 2017 exhibition Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable (Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi - Venice) with this fictional telling of the resurrection of the 'antiquities' it contains.
The film shouldn't be viewed in isolation from that exhibition which applied layers and layers of questions about art, legend, history, acquisition, ego and - importantly - belief onto the pieces produced by Hirst, firstly in their 'found' format, and then in their commercialised incarnations. The film and the exhibition are companion partners; twin tricks in Hirst's game to provoke us to question what it is that we believe. In the film, Hirst repeatedly brings us back to belief being the thing that occupies the spaces between the things we 'know'. And then of course, he shows us how what we 'know' is actually a pretty slippery concept. And when the 'known' becomes mis-shapen, so too do those belief spaces between them.
I digress. The film is well done. Its high production values make up for the sometimes iffy exchanges between the participants. It felt a bit like watching a really good illusionist - when it is done well, you're inclined to be incredulous, even if you know it's not really magic.
But it's impossible to really review this as a film, when it's actually part of the art piece Hirst started on a decade ago and has realised beautifully across its various domains. I didn't see the exhibition (I wish!) but to see the pieces presented in the film both in their pretend origin on the sea floor, and then in their exhibited format was terrific even if, frankly, some of them are bonkers.
I wouldn't pay 8 million quid for Hirst's work, but for his playfulness, boldness and humour I give him a big round of applause!
Real to me!
kumarihpx10 December 2018
The average is pretty low
richardkelly-24 November 2018
Until reading the user reviews here I had no idea there were people out there in the world who believed this was a real wreck, and this a real documentary of the wreck finding. Its not even the type of mockumentary that's trying to fool you
"Wreck" is Right
lilmizmiki15 January 2018
I'll give kudos to the actual film crew for a cinematically beautiful piece of fiction, but anyone promoting this as a documentary should be sued for false advertising. While I'll admit that most of the actual sculptures are lovely pieces of art, the artist failed miserably to capture historical accuracy in the styles he attempted to replicate. The medusa head genuinely gave me the impression Harry Hamlin had just dropped it. If you like mockumentaries with good production quality, you might enjoy giving up an hour and twenty minutes of your life to this flick. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
You don't have to like it in order for it to be Art.
oleary6815 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Of this project, Damian Hirst said it "taps into a desire for belief, for a connection with the past,". And that's true for me and many like myself. I watched in total belief, with high excitement yet fully prepared for the disappointment of failure. However, now that I understand it was Hirst's multi-layered (and risky) project, it remains just as spectacularly awesome on it's own terms. It is Damien Hirst, after all and the pieces are brilliant, tremendous, almost sacred while you are in the illusion. Hirst said, " maybe I am worrying more than is necessary, really, because people are willing to believe. I think they want to believe." I do. I was more than glad to be deceived by it because of its sheer size and daring. This astonishing project remains vastly more than it's proverbial seperate parts.
Who cares if it's Fictional
richard-3094 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Very entertaining but the fact that is was fictional added an even more interesting twist as most of the time fictional work allows an even greater flexibility to tell the story in a most unbelievable way. This was truly a Suspension of Disbelief! Even now after I know it was purely fiction. This should be a full blown movie about this amasing this collection. Like a new Sinbad story .
Mockumentary
genyab-376-75136315 January 2018
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME..............
damienfrost-4510814 January 2018
If I could give it negative star rating I would. For wasting my time. Sad because it's all fake. Like fake news on the net... you want to believe it but it's all made up and you initially look at it as true events until you dig around and find the truth.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME..............
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME..............
Not a bad waist of 80 min
emr02 May 2018
I'm not really big into watching documentaries but I decided to give this a try because the subject matter seemed kind of interesting. The cinematography was very beautiful and looked really nice on a big screen TV. The underwater videos of the divers and the fish and the sheer undertaking to film this video is credit to itself. Reading some other reviews saying that it's a scam and a waste of time are false. I was blown away by the sculptures and the art. The exhibit in Venice and the way he displayed them all was really something. I hope you give it a chance and make up your own mind. And maybe spark your imagination to do something amazing.
HAH! You got me!
flolefty28 April 2019
What a hell of a hoax! Friend turned me onto this, said it was one of the most fascination documentaries he'd ever seen, a must watch. Loved it so much that as I often do, I googled it afterwards wanting more, more! - only to discover it's a hoax, a 'mocumentary".
What the hell - well done, you got me, I can take it:)
Fantastic anyway - worth a watch.
MOCKumentary
jasonpryce-732679 January 2018
A fake
sveintraserud15 January 2018
You either get it, or you don't
alxalw-8594422 January 2018
Absolutely stunning! Hurst is the master of questioning our ideas of existence. People who hate this movie obviously don't know Hurst's work or understand his point. Nor are they comfortable with questioning reality. If you are lover of conceptual art you will appreciate this work.
Mediocre art disguised as a science documentary.
davroz-3679610 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I found this drivel on Netflix. I like good documentaries of new archeological discoveries and the prospect of a treasure hoard from an ancient wreck looked worthwhile. Fairly quickly I began to suspect it wasn't what it purported to be. The first glimpses of the treasure showed items which seemed strangely out of place. Too well preserved, too modern in style, or too many different periods of history to be consistent with the time period proposed for the wreck (First Century AD). Large, complicated bronze castings which could not have been made except by modern means. Too many things just laid on the sea floor. Like a badly covered up crime scene, it was all too convenient, too clean, and felt all wrong. I did a quick search online and learned it was all a high-concept promotional film for an immense installation of billionaire artist Damien Hurst's work in a Venice art museum. This "documentary" is an expensive, badly directed and poorly executed hour-long infomercial for a multimillion dollar art auction. What galls me is that this act of charlatanry seriously misrepresents the legitimate science of marine archaeology, depicting it as nothing better than Lara Croft-style tombraiding. There are no disclaimers at start or finish to distinguish this from a real documentary. A less intuitive viewer might be led to believe this is how wrecks are discovered and artworks retrieved and preserved (basically it's a how-to guide for plundering). The only clues are some clever wink-nudge items like a barnacle encrusted statue of Mickey Mouse shown at the very end. This attempt at infotainment in the guise of science discredits the artist (purely egotistical self agrandisement), discredits documentary filmmaking (calls authenticity of good journalism into question), discredits marine archaelogy and other science (showing bad and inauthentic methods and poor documentation of the wreck site) and discredits art curation and conservation as nothing more than a carnival of hucksters and showboaters. This rates scarcely better than PT Barnum's freakshows and is worthy of a place in the Hall of Hoaxes, between Piltdown Man and the Cardiff Giant.
Bought this hook line and sinker
thornburghd16 March 2018
OK first calm down here those who yell fraud. I watched this and totally bought into the premise that this was a real documentary. When I found out it wasn't I still enjoyed the fact that I was duped and want to watch again to pick up on the clues I missed. I love me a good mockumentary!
wreckage
jim-meryman17 January 2018
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