The Century of the Self
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    Rapt, heady, and startling: the most profound documentary I've seen this decade.
  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Dennis Lim
    80
    An engrossing quartet of hour-long films by British documentarian Adam Curtis, doesn't so much challenge Freud's theories of the unconscious as shadow them through the corridors of corporate and political power. What emerges is nothing less than a history of 20th-century social control.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Van Gelder
    80
    An unusually cerebral filmed essay that demands focus and patience from its audience as it sets about the task of unearthing a secret history of the 20th century. Adam Curtis, the film's director and writer, saves the proceedings from being overly dry with his visual wit and deft touch with archival materials.
  4. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    75
    It will make you laugh, and feel like crying.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    70
    Consistently engaging due to the wealth of generally unfamiliar archival footage, which reveals social trends, sweeping overview should provoke healthy debate.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. ThanasisI
    10
    The most interesting film i have seen the last years. Independent in opinion, illustrates the things as it is. No more brainwashing, animals wake up.
  2. NicholasM.
    10
    At about the age of 10 I began wondering why is the world like it is, in particular why are we bombarded with advertising and made to feel incomplete. At 24 I took an MBA, which included modules in marketing and psychology and some of the questions were answered. When Century of the Self aired the whole picture came into view and it has confirmed my opinion that you should lead your life the way you want. Reports that appear on television about High Street sales figures in the lead up to Christmas or the New Year, reports about the Property Market etc all fit into the picture Curtis paints - they are propaganda designed to modify your behaviour. If its Freud's Theories that have been used to drive the society we now have, will they be seen in years to come as theories that played a significant role in causing Global Warming?… Full Review »
  3. JoelM.
    10
    This doc should be required in American schools. More valuable than most what's taught in Social Studies, The Century Of The Self explains not alone why the country is the way it is, but why you are the way you are.… Full Review »
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