71
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorBoth shocking and beautiful, the film impresses itself on the viewer with the awesome scale of the imagery – and with the urgency behind it. We have entered an epoch in which human activity is shaping the planet more than any natural force. Anthropocene bears witness that something’s got to give.
- 78Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisBe forewarned: Anthropocene is often an overwhelming experience. The human accountability on display can be tough to swallow.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreYes, we’ve filled the atmosphere with levels of carbon dioxide not seen in 66 million years of geologic time. But at least we get our own “epoch,” the Anthropocene, named after us. And there’s a smidgen of cautious hope underscoring much of what we see here.
- 70The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergAs a work of cinema, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch can seem a bit torn in its approach, caught between a desire to spread a message to mainstream viewers and more cryptic, artistic aims. At times, more information would be preferable; in other scenes, images speak volumes without words. But as advocacy, the movie is potent and frequently terrifying.
- 70Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleThe film isn’t the most cohesive look at startling global transformation. It’s strongest, however, as a dizzying, dimensional tour of scale and time, forcing us to wonder how a sense of earth-centric balance can be restored.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijDe Pencier’s cinematography has a good eye for the beauty and horror of man-made or -altered landscapes, and it is hard to deny that the film benefits from being seen on as large a screen as possible, as impressive crane or drone shots fill the screen. But like with Burtynsky’s photographs, it is also hard to deny that the beauty of these shots stands in stark contrast to their purported message.