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Naqoyqatsi

Naqoyqatsi

Life as war

200289 minPGMidcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Director
Godfrey Reggio
Starring
Steven Soderbergh, Bhagwan Mirchandani, Jack Shamblin

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Naqoyqatsi?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Naqoyqatsi to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Naqoyqatsi?

Naqoyqatsi earns 5 badges, led by Standout soundtrack and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Naqoyqatsi worth watching?

Naqoyqatsi's Midcredits score is the 56th percentile of all films, from 15K ratings across 6 sources. 55% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

56th percentile

Better received than 56% of films

21st percentile among Documentary54th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)52nd
Approval (how many liked it)59th

62 /100

52nd percentile of all films

16th percentile among Documentary52nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 59 · Audience 62

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

55% liked it

59th percentile of all films

29th percentile among Documentary57th percentile among 2000s
55% rated it 7–1045% rated it 1–6

Critics 48% · Audience 70%

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

84th percentile

15K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Documentary76th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3M
Opening weekend$17K
Domestic gross$133K
Worldwide gross$156K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 63rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a chaotic, heavily manipulated audio-visual barrage about technology and violence, but fans see it as a bold artistic statement while detractors see it as an incoherent mess.

Fans praised

  • mesmerizing score from Glass with Yo-Yo Ma's cello solos
  • dense, overwhelming montage reflecting digital-age chaos
  • ambitious thematic departure from earlier Qatsi films

Detractors panned

  • amateurish, dated CGI and heavy-handed digital filters
  • incoherent structure with no clear narrative thread
  • preachy, obvious message that beats viewers over the head

What stands out

Sound and music82

powerful Philip Glass score with standout Yo-Yo Ma cello work

AtmosphereDivisive55

relentless barrage evokes digital-age anxiety

Emotional impactDivisive50

overwhelming and numbing rather than moving

OriginalityDivisive45

recycles themes from earlier Qatsi films with a digital twist

CinematographyDivisive42

overprocessed, solarized images and dated digital effects

Effects and spectacleDivisive38

dated CGI and cheap-looking digital manipulations

PacingDivisive35

relentless, exhausting tempo with few breathing moments

Plot and storyDivisive28

structureless montage lacking coherent narrative

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 13 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Naqoyqatsi 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 is intense, 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, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeTenseElegiac
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Awestruck · 1% of films: Wonder at something vast or marvelous.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film presents its critique of technological dominance with solemn, awe-inspired imagery and music, played entirely straight.
The rideSustained contemplative unease and elegiac tension run across the entire film, with little shift in register.
StructureThe film presents a sequence of visually altered images set to Philip Glass's score, loosely connected by the theme of technology's dominance over nature, rather than a conventional story structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's mesmerizing but unsettling depiction of a world overtaken by technology lingers as a haunting meditation on progress.
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 archetypeThe film is a non-narrative documentary concert of digitally altered images and music, with no plot that follows a protagonist or a single story arc.

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% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • 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%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsTechnology · 1% of filmsFreedom · 5% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeChronicles the overwhelming shift from a nature-based world to one dominated by technology and the virtual, questioning whether this new order liberates or subjugates humanity.
StanceThe film presents technology's dominance over nature as a troubling shift, warning of a synthetic, dehumanized future.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Philip Glass
SettingA global landscape transformed by digital technology and synthetic imagery.
MusicPhilip Glass's driving, minimalist score is integral to the film's hypnotic and brooding atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Naqoyqatsi okay for kids?

PG

Naqoyqatsi is rated PG: “Rated PG for violent and disturbing images, and for brief nudity” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (11/100), sexual content at mild (25/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (22/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Austria6
  • CzechiaU
  • Sweden15
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (15 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Naqoyqatsi have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Naqoyqatsi?

Cast

Steven Soderbergh
as Man Reflected in Digital Screens (3rd segment)
Bhagwan Mirchandani
as Business Man
Jack Shamblin
as Atomic Adam

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Naqoyqatsi?

Movies like Naqoyqatsi include Powaqqatsi (1988), Koyaanisqatsi (1982) and The Social Dilemma (2020). Two are films by Godfrey Reggio; two are music documentaries.

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

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Naqoyqatsi?

1.4K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: concert film. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.