X
  • 2020
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2020
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 30 m

Summary Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imper...

Directed By: Matthew Rankin

Written By: Matthew Rankin

  • 2020
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2020
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 30 m

The Twentieth Century

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
77
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Summary Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imper...

Directed By: Matthew Rankin

Written By: Matthew Rankin

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
77
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
77
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Nov 24, 2020
That core idea here, the pole in the middle of the merry-go-round, is that the stuffy, secretive King, as Robertson Davies suggests, is the embodiment of Canada’s locked-down colonial psychology. The Twentieth Century is a strange creation, though but there’s nothing unusual in the notion that Canadian blandness may be a form of camouflage. Anyone who has read history, or for that matter, watched a hockey game, knows that.
By Liam Lacey FULL REVIEW
91
Nov 18, 2020
Rankin’s ambitious thesis on how idiocy, horny neuroses, and pure chance come to sculpt the geopolitical narrative never gets bogged down by the social-studies minutia. He throws one dazzling diversion after another at his audience.
By Charles Bramesco FULL REVIEW
83
Nov 18, 2020
It’s the most exciting kind of aesthetic pastiche, one that swirls together so many different flavors that it feels like something wholly new.
By Ethan Vestby FULL REVIEW
80
Nov 18, 2020
The more familiar one is with Canadian history, the funnier it is. But even without prior knowledge of our neighbor to the north, it can be enjoyed for its combination of supreme creativity, jaw-dropping audacity and amusing tongue-in-cheek dialogue.
By Alissa Simon FULL REVIEW
70
Nov 19, 2020
Is it all a bit much? Sure, but the self-consciousness is baked in: Rankin names one public gathering place “Disappointment Square.”
By Nicolas Rapold FULL REVIEW
63
Nov 18, 2020
The Twentieth Century exists somewhere on the Venn diagram between midnight movie, fever dream, Turner Classics fetish object, and all-Canadian prank. Does that sound interesting? By all means. Does the movie go anywhere? Not really. Will you mind? I didn’t.
By Ty Burr FULL REVIEW
50
Dec 8, 2020
I’m inclined to cut The Twentieth Century slack for sending me on a deep Wiki dive into Canadian history, and the visual inventiveness and perverse camp of it all. But Maddin got there first, and his movies didn’t feel this gassed for the last half hour.
By Roger Moore FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Voyelles Films
Release Date Nov 20, 2020
Duration 1 h 30 m
Genres
Website http://www.voyellesfilms.com/3713526-the-20th-century
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Awards

Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 3 Wins & 7 Nominations
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
• 2 Wins & 7 Nominations
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations

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