The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) Image
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

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  • Starring: Candy Clark, David Bowie, Rip Torn
  • Summary: The Man Who Fell to Earth is a daring exploration of science fiction as an art form. The story of an alien on an elaborate rescue mission provides the launching pad for Nicolas Roeg’s visual tour de force, a formally adventurous examination of alienation in contemporary life. Rock legend Davavid Bowie, in his acting debut, completely embodies the title role, while Candy Clark, Buck Henry, and Rip Torn turn in pitch-perfect supporting performances. The film’s hallucinatory vision was obscured in the American theatrical release, which deleted nearly twenty minutes of crucial scenes and details. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Roeg’s full uncut version, in this exclusive new director-approved high-­definition widescreen transfer. (The Criterion Collection)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rothkopf
    Jun 21, 2011
    100
    It may be time to stop calling Nicolas Roeg's sexed-up sci-fi film that vaguely demeaning term - a cult classic - and start addressing it as what it is: the most intellectually provocative genre film of the 1970s.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    Jul 21, 2011
    75
    It's not just the grainy stock and bad sound - technically, we've come a long way. It's the cheesy sex, the awkward edits, the hammy symbolism, the mix of art-house aesthetics and exploitation cliché. Strange creature, this is.
  3. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    Aug 25, 2011
    75
    There's an inherent contradiction at the film's core: this sexually explicit motion picture, seemingly made by and for altered consciousnesses, is all about how an innocent newcomer falls prey to gin, sex, and television.
  4. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Nick Pinkerton
    Jun 21, 2011
    50
    Undeniably long, Panavision-wide, but of questionable depth.

See all 5 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. pb_ee1
    5
    A very, very, very weird movie (and I mean it). The summary says it all: this is ART. But art that was made more than 40 years ago doesn't always age without any hurt. The movie navigates between sex (a lot), the story and some scenes that are so totally bizarre that you will certainly laugh of it. The movie expresses some ideas but in a way that clearly shows the limitations of the special effects of that time: the first few minutes demonstrates it perfectly. Whereas it is understandable that effects couldn't be as good in 1976 as what we are used to see nowadays, the movie unfortunately got really old since it was released. The spectator is most of the time not transported, ideas are indeed presented in an old fashioned way that doesn't work anymore. The Man Who Fell to Earth isn't the worse movie of all times however. The acting of David Bowie is transcendent and the criticism of the society, that doesn't accept differences, is well done. But it's probably the weirdest movie that you will ever see.… Expand

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