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Do You Trust This Computer?

Do You Trust This Computer?

201878 minMidcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Director
Chris Paine
Starring
Elon Musk, Raymond Kurzweil, Jonathan Nolan, James Barrat

Science fiction has long anticipated the rise of machine intelligence, and today a new generation of self-learning computers has begun to reshape every aspect of our lives. Will A.I. usher in an age of unprecedented potential, or prove to be our final invention?

Where to watch

Where can I watch Do You Trust This Computer??

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Do You Trust This Computer? on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Do You Trust This Computer??

Do You Trust This Computer? earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Do You Trust This Computer? worth watching?

Do You Trust This Computer?'s Midcredits score is the 87th percentile of all films, from 2.6K ratings across 5 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

87th percentile

Better received than 87% of films

68th percentile among Documentary87th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)87th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

57th percentile among Documentary83rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 62 · Audience 72

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

74th percentile among Documentary88th percentile among 2010s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 69% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Reach

How many have seen it

63rd percentile

2.6K ratings across platforms

86th percentile among Documentary66th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film covers the present and near-future impact of AI on society, focusing on risks and lack of regulation.

Fans praised

  • Thought-provoking wake-up call on AI risks and lack of regulation
  • Expert interviews lend credibility (Musk, Nolan, Hawking, Ng)
  • Timely and urgent — AI is already shaping society

Detractors panned

  • Shallow and obvious — no depth beyond Sunday-paper talking points
  • Misleading fear-mongering with false claims about current AI capability
  • Stylistically gimmicky — rapid editing and animated memes distract from content

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive60

Fans feel genuine fear and urgency; detractors see empty manipulation

AtmosphereDivisive55

Effectively unsettling and paranoid tone

TensionDivisive55

Builds dread about unregulated AI development

Plot and storyDivisive45

Scattered survey of AI topics; lacks focused argument or narrative structure

Dialogue35

Talking heads deliver basic, often unoriginal aphorisms

PacingDivisive30

Breezy and rushed; rapid cuts feel like meme montage

Originality25

Rehashes familiar AI warnings without new insight

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is Do You Trust This Computer? like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film takes its subject seriously, playing its material straight as a wake-up call rather than with irony or detachment.
The rideThe documentary sustains a thoughtful, uneasy register, building toward a sobering conclusion about the urgency of AI regulation.
StructureThe documentary moves through a series of topics (self-driving cars, medical diagnostics, elections, battlefield weapons) in a loosely linked, episodic structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe documentary leaves viewers with a lingering sense of unease about AI's trajectory and a call to reflect on its implications.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary exploring the present and future impact of AI, not a story following a character through a plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Ideas

Technology · 1% of filmsPower · 2% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe documentary examines how AI technology is reshaping every industry and human activity, focusing on its promises and perils, and the power dynamics and truth about data collection it creates.
StanceThe film presents AI as a powerful, unregulated force and urges the viewer to recognize its risks before it is too late.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
ElectronicSupportive music · original score
Settingcontemporary global landscape of AI development and deployment
MusicThe electronic score is described by one reviewer as a bit overbearing at times.

Cast and crew

Who is in Do You Trust This Computer??

Cast

Elon Musk
as Self
Raymond Kurzweil
as Self
Jonathan Nolan
as Self
James Barrat
as Self
Hiroshi Ishiguro
as Self
John Markoff
as Self

Crew

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What are movies like Do You Trust This Computer?

Movies like Do You Trust This Computer? include Terms and Conditions May Apply (2013), Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) and Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016). Of the 5 closest matches, most are films set in academia, and two are films about truth.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

3 of these 5 share its subject: technology. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Do You Trust This Computer??

Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.