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The Man from Earth

The Man from Earth

2007
Drama
Sci-fi
1h 27m
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation, in this movie adapted from a story by acclaimed Sci-Fi writer Jerome Bixby, his last great work, finally completed on his deathbed in April of 1998.
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The Man from Earth

2007
Drama
Sci-fi
1h 27m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 64.95% from 4472 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(4472)
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Rated 24 Nov 2007
84
81st
The acting ranges from good to spotty, the lighting is pretty bad at certain points and it's clearly shot on a shoe string budget. But I'll be damned if I wasn't completely captivated by the premise. The idea, the concept, is just flat out memorizing. Even if you don't like it you simply have to keep watching to find out more. If you've got an attention span that will allow you to simply watch people talk about a terribly interesting premise for two hours you owe it to yourself to see this.
Rated 06 May 2008
88
90th
The amazing story keeps the movie going in a single room with just a handful of actors. Who said you need lots of money to make good scifi?
Rated 20 Sep 2008
80
78th
Such a captivating story that at this point I don't really care if it's got any merits as a film. Some might find certain parts of it dull, and the ending is a bit on the boring side, but that doesn't take anything away from the intriguing story and the fascinating arguments.
Rated 26 Jan 2017
35
8th
A very stupid film filled with undergradute level of information about the history of civilization. John's declaring himself Jesus was the final blow to the story. The so very unbelievable professors were quite funny. Overall, this is one of the most overrated films ever.
Rated 05 Jun 2018
10
0th
I kept waiting for someone to say, "You're a towel."
Rated 27 Aug 2008
86
81st
As you would expect with a low-budget film, there's no special effects and very little by way of sets. A film forced to keep the viewer interested using only its dialog-heavy script - and boy does it! An interesting concept explored in-depth with acting which, aside from a couple of hokey moments, is decent enough to make you forget you're watching a shoestring flick. It's cerebral, thought provoking and, at times, downright controversial; just like any good sci-fi should be.
Rated 15 Dec 2007
80
79th
Some things about it bothered me a little, but overall this is the sort of minimalistic science fiction movie I'd like to see more of.
Rated 05 Aug 2008
79
72nd
Quite obviously a low-budget film, but one with incredible ideas and story behind it. The ideas alone carry it so much I didn't care about the spottiness of the acting and the lighting. These kinds of stories deserve more attention.
Rated 30 Jan 2008
85
92nd
I completely forgot about the small budget and few of the worse acting performances cause the story was so compelling and interesting. Ending felt a bit rushed though.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
30
15th
What an aggravating film! A for concept, but D for execution The acting is sub-par throughout (except for Tony Todd). The script feels unnatural, so that doesn't help. The 'professors' are peddling pseudo-intellectual claptrap. Most of them are unlikable and, fucking hell, outright stupid. And so, so many things make no sense. I wanted to like this. I really did, and on some level I like bits of it, tiny bits.
Rated 04 Jun 2010
25
8th
Low budget is NO excuse for this overwrought and poorly acted kammerspiel (compare this to 'Primer'); the kind they love in theatres. A professor pimps his goodbye party by revealing that he's 14.000 years old. Excellent dental hygiene! His colleagues are shocked, angered and confused, apparently to the point where they are incapable of asking intelligent questions (how 'bout insisting on a picture..). The end is fumbled by Schenkman, whose earlier work includes playboy-videos. Stupid as hell.
Rated 02 Oct 2018
40
11th
As a thought experiment this was really interesting. For 2/3 of the film everything is actually plausible, given the central premise. After that it collapses for an educated Christian. That a guy could come into 1st century Palestine preaching Buddhist philosophy and get pegged as the Jewish Messiah is laughable. The ignorant (or deceptive) and offensive assumptions that pervade most of the latter part of the film reveal another filmmaker's attempt to discredit Judeo-Christian faith.
Rated 12 Apr 2010
81
86th
Very entertaining low budget sci-fi. The performances are solid enough, with some familar faces who are so often bit-part players in other movies doing very well, & the concept is fun & intriguing. Most of all however this film manages to remain interesting, thought provoking & sporadically controversial in its nature. The script does occasionally fluctuate from the simply brilliant to the slightly clumsy, but no matter, this remains a rare piece of satisfying charactor based sci-fi.
Rated 08 Jan 2010
89
89th
While the directing is lacking (the zero budget shows), the brilliance of this movie is in the writing. The reactions of the characters to John's story felt so real. Just the right amount of skepticism is presented to keep the viewer connected to the premise. All the logical questions are asked and many interesting concepts are discussed. I felt like I was in the room with these people hearing John's unbelievable story. One of the most engaging and thought provoking movies I've ever seen.
Rated 19 May 2008
75
69th
I didn't like everything about this movie but the premise is very interesting. if it was made in the '60s , this film would have been a classic. It would also work better as a play I think.
Rated 10 Jun 2009
84
95th
One of my favorite movies. Everything happens in the living room of a cabin where they disguss wether or not the protagonist is who he says he is. Just fantastic.
Rated 26 Sep 2016
40
14th
Am I smoking crack or something? How did almost everyone like this? It's like a sane (and therefore boring) Neil Breen movie. It's a single-room film with annoying characters and a story that takes its premise down the most obvious road possible. I'm baffled.
Rated 30 Jun 2015
59
27th
What I would consider all the indie trappings both in script and acting. An interesting concept that keeps getting lost in the aforementioned. A simple ending to satisfy people who might be too dim to get a clever one.
Rated 16 Jun 2009
3
45th
Proof that a compelling concept and interesting characters trump shoddy craftsmanship. Yes, the acting is spotty and the camerawork and lighting are mediocre. Its budget is apparent, but because of the general simplicity these faults aren't very distracting. It's not very cinematic, but the ideas presented through a single conversation provide the movie with more than enough kinetic energy. Truly fascinating and thoughtful.
Rated 07 Jan 2013
50
49th
A cerebral movie with people sitting around discussing the long life of a man who claims to be 14,000 years old. The story is compelling, but the listeners reactions did not feel genuine. Also, the mock violence was stupid as were the reactions of some of the characters.
Rated 03 Apr 2010
79
58th
Saw this movie cold. A cerebral Sci-Fi, all dialouge. Liked it, with reservations. 1) Casting: The concept would have been better served with a different cast. Not necessarily a-listers, but better actors. 2) The ending is contrived. If you remove the last 10 minutes to leave the audiance guessing, I'll add 10 points. 3) Quit lumping religious people together as ignorant. The one religious character is unsympathetically played by Crawford. (evilchaser is SPOT-ON! would make a better play!)
Rated 18 Jun 2018
75
59th
An interesting thought experiment shown via a stagey low budget film. Acting is spotty but the idea is interesting enough to overlook most of the lesser points.
Rated 01 May 2011
85
92nd
Flawed in places, especially acting-wise, but the concept is irresistible, thought provoking and mind boggling; exactly what Sci-Fi needs to be.
Rated 13 Jul 2019
80
62nd
A fascinating, well-considered premise is developed in interesting ways; it's to Schenkman and his cast's credit that this single room gabfest remains compelling and involving for its entire duration. If the ultimate resolution feels a little shaggy Bobby Ewing-ish, the thought experiment that forms its basis still provides considerable food for thought. Largely unknown cast are all fine, with veteran Riehle's "doubting Thomas" standing out.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
66
58th
Great idea, bad execution. The acting and direction are horrible, but a good idea keeps it interesting.
Rated 28 Apr 2011
70
86th
The budget was just enough to rent a building and a couple of decent C-list actors. However it manages to rise above its production value to the level of excellent film-making, just through the magnitude of its ideas and the twists in the conversation. Almost all the credit goes to Bixby's story, which has stuck around in my mind longer than I expected.
Rated 04 Mar 2010
91
96th
I heard people talking about how poor the acting was, that the film doesn't offer anything but talking in one single room, but does it always have to be more than that? This film is proof that you can make a (in my opinion) wonderful film without millions of dollars. Great story that didn't let me go, and this from second 1. The dialogues are of such level that you get sucked into it, only to be released when the film finishes in a (maybe not superb but) decent ending.
Rated 02 Jun 2008
85
89th
this movie is one of the least sci-fi movies ever, there is actually no sci-fi in it, except for the the main character's claims. aside from that this movie takes its plot and story to the best possible, and succeeds with flying colors.
Rated 17 Mar 2015
70
16th
Some 8.0 rated films on IMDB: Rocky, Jaws, The Graduate. So who the f*k snuck this one up there. At first it's a tasteful and fun little intellectual exercise, then it begins to second guess itself before jumping the shark at precisely the halfway point. Consistency points though, for being technically low budget terrible throughout. It must be cool to like Jerome Bixby or something.
Rated 23 Jan 2010
70
57th
Poorly made movie in many ways, but a pretty interesting idea that makes you think about a few things.
Rated 04 Aug 2014
80
44th
You don't get many sci-fi chamber pieces, much less films that seem like a dramatic take on Brooks and Reiner's Two Thousand Year Old Man.
Rated 18 Jul 2015
39
4th
As dumb as I imagine the Left Behind movies must be. Schenkman's prior work was soft-porn, and he went on to direct Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies.
Rated 07 Jun 2008
85
35th
As evilchaser says, if it was made in the '60, it would would have been a classic. Although it made me think about lots of things, I don't think I'll bear this movie in mind for long.
Rated 01 Feb 2009
25
14th
While the beginning is quite promising, it gets gradually more and more silly until it culminates in an explosion of sheer stupidity which you probably expect since a certain moment, but hope that the movie can't be that predicable.
Rated 31 Jan 2009
82
75th
This explores some really great ideas, and the story is really well presented and interesting, but I believe they should have explored the Buddhism in greater detail. I personally would have changed John to be more at ease with himself, a sort of inner peace and joy as seen in many Buddhists or other important religious figures. The script and ideas are fascinating, but you can't help but imagine that the idea might be best portrayed through a book.
Rated 03 Jun 2012
73
76th
This is direct, plain filmmaking, but a marvelous and incredibly poignant piece of sci-fi teleplay. I could literally spent 140 centuries listening to Jesus, John, whoever this guy is, was and will be.
Rated 28 Oct 2011
70
72nd
I like the way it feels absolutely sci-fi not only without any special effect, but without anything 'touchable' outside their conversation. It's too theatrical (I think in fact, watching this in live action on stage must be great), so there's nothing we can expect technically (nothing!), this movie belongs to screenwriter and actors. I didn't found it so original as some did and it has some flaws, but it's self-concious, catching and absolutely deserves the try (and some think after watching).
Rated 18 Dec 2019
30
2nd
Not good at all. Corny and boring as a movie. Not even interesting as a thought experiment. I was excited to watch it too.
Rated 11 May 2015
40
33rd
The acting is laughably bad.
Rated 18 Nov 2018
82
81st
A thought-provoking movie that engages you very well from the start till the end. It's a sci-fi themed courtroom drama movie that has nothing to do with a courtroom. There are only a couple of flaws in the script, and ignoring them, I would have rated it even higher.
Rated 16 Feb 2023
10
3rd
Almost everything in this movie is subpar - acting, direction, set, screenplay, rushed and lame ending. Story itself might have been decent for a movie, but it's hard to say given what came out of Schenkman's hands. Feels heavily overrated.
Rated 02 Apr 2011
91
86th
"I'm going to go home and I'm going to watch Star Trek for a dose of sanity." A great example of thought provoking, low budget sci-fi.
Rated 05 Jan 2008
42
18th
A great concept horribly executed. The acting is forced, and the direction is so mis-paced it's very understandable why some might turn it off halway through. Nothing whatsoever of note happens in the first 45 minutes and then all the interesting stuff is rushed through at the end with no exploration of the implications. This film will leave you very unsatisfied and with the feeling that it could have been so much more that it was a horrible waste.
Rated 13 Feb 2011
88
90th
Think of it as watching an audio book.
Rated 10 Jan 2020
40
7th
A college professor is stepping down and his friends give him a farewell party. He reveals that he isn't who they think he is. I hate this movie. It's nothing but people sitting in a room and talking. This is fine if they are talking about something, but they are not. This feels like a movie that thinks it's about deep concepts. It's about a guy explaining how he's the caveman Forrest Gump.
Rated 26 Aug 2009
100
99th
The best ever script for a sci-fi (not only) movie. Who cares if the acting is mediocre, if the production is poor and if the whole movie is shooted in a room?! If the script is clever, flawless and scientific correct nothing else matters. An oasis between the script trash.
Rated 22 Oct 2008
73
85th
I have a passionate grudge against whom or whatever prevented Jerome Bixby from writing more.
Rated 29 Sep 2014
15
0th
Tries to be deep and meaningful and really fails at it. If making a movie focused entirely on dialogue, maybe try and get some believable actors.
Rated 05 Apr 2009
86
82nd
The movie itself isn't especialy stary in any way. The story itself is amazing. I really do reccoment to read the book.
Rated 06 Dec 2014
5
40th
An interesting enough movie that feels a bit more like a play than a film. Not really great, but entertaining. A couple really bad characters and cheesy lines made it worse than it could have been, but it's still some good old school sci-fi.
Rated 27 Oct 2013
65
37th
This kind of story needs a different format. It seemed to me like a perfectly wasted idea for an intriguing, multiple-season series. Here, without a proper fleshing-out and lacking any true depth, for me it all comes through as nothing more than a rather cheap attack on Christianity.
Rated 19 Jan 2012
75
81st
This is one of those films which proves you don't really need much to create a compelling and entertaining story. In all honesty, the film probably wasn't as good as I was hoping for. But it did keep me interested from beginning to end, and did have some intriguing things to say about history, religion and humanity.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
80
80th
Despite the fact that I'm more of a fan of action movies, I really enjoyed the story and the way it is told basically in one room and actually felt I was there too (only listening though).
Rated 21 May 2010
20
6th
The idea is the only interesting thing about this film.
Rated 09 Jan 2013
90
88th
Looks and feels like low budget TV, but damn well-written TV. Entirely dialogue-driven films are a hard sell, but the topic of conversation here fascinates enough to provoke plenty of thought.
Rated 18 Apr 2011
40
9th
Great idea, really badly made film. Still, shows what you can do with a few friends and a script (bad script). So little from so much potential
Rated 14 Apr 2010
87
81st
A fascinating movie that explores some very interesting ideas. A lot has been said about the acting, but it's very split. Tony Todd & David Lee Smith both give fantastic performances (the best I've ever seen from Todd,) but some of the other acting is lacking in places (which can in part be attributed to the one-dimensional way in which most of the other characters are written.) I would love to see this adapted into a play; I can see this story having some real legs in that medium.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
77
67th
Very interesting basic story with some nice discussions and ideas.
Rated 17 Apr 2011
96
95th
One of my favorite movies.
Rated 04 Oct 2009
75
44th
The story's pretty cool and gets better as it goes along, but the acting is terrible making a film that already is very reliant on suspension of disbelief that much harder to take seriously. And I hated the soundtrack. Still, that it can remain interesting with such mediocre production values says something about the film.
Rated 29 Jul 2012
100
99th
I found it mindblowing
Rated 25 May 2010
80
91st
Shit, I love all the bit-part actors they used in this movie. It's just a dude telling a story but it's 10 times as captivating as a typical big-budget sci-fi movie. Good stuff.
Rated 01 Jun 2008
90
91st
A very good movie, for those who like to rethink their beliefs, and stay in this state of analytical processes for a while.
Rated 31 Mar 2009
79
82nd
Very good story of possible scifi if you believe the tell tale of the white Caucasian man. The story of belief. Acting, music and movie itself were pretty poorly done till the breaking point, which was not that surprise either. But all in all I focused on the story with points.
Rated 30 Oct 2013
54
22nd
The Jesus parts were too much for me.
Rated 20 Nov 2009
9
76th
Sublime. Positively sublime.
Rated 05 Dec 2011
90
94th
No visuals. No gadgetry. Just the power to make you think.
Rated 03 Jul 2014
81
92nd
Beautifully written but poorly acted.
Rated 24 Feb 2013
75
56th
The acting is bad, the filmmaking dodgy and the ending contrived, but I'm kind of willing to for the most part forgive all that because the story was just so incredibly compelling. It's one of the best premises for a sci-fi film that I've ever heard and the film runs with it taking it directions I could never have anticipated and developing the details behind the premise in all sorts of fascinating ways. It isn't great piece of filmmaking, but I enjoy it a lot.
Rated 23 Apr 2010
80
71st
This Movie shows: A Good story is all you need.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
91
93rd
Nice one... I was expecting smth else but am delightful with what I got. I was tied to screen with utmost interest for the full duration and am definitely gonna see it a couple of more times. The biggest part of the credit should go to script writers. Still I think it would have been better if it had ended without resolving the doubts. And the romance part was a bit weak and seemed irrelevant but good movie nevertheless.
Rated 04 May 2016
89
87th
This is about as simple as movies can get. There is just one set. About 7 characters stand around and talk, and that's it. This is a case of a movie putting all of its effort into the premise and the dialogue. It delivers in spades. It might have been even better as a live play than as a movie though.
Rated 30 Sep 2011
67
55th
The ending shouldn't be clear!
Rated 08 Aug 2010
65
87th
#08#, reviews, story.
Rated 08 Dec 2012
95
93rd
Perfectly showcases how you do a low budget film. The movie plants this rather ridiculous idea in your head then nurtures it throughout its duration, painting an expansive and beautiful picture without special effects or large scale shots. This is honestly one of the most interesting and innovative films I have watched.
Rated 04 Nov 2015
90
89th
Well thought out and very fascinating.
Rated 10 May 2023
85
94th
10.5.23(+)
Rated 27 Dec 2012
67
65th
Very interesting.
Rated 07 Apr 2014
55
27th
Great concept, bad execution. The acting was rather poor, but holy SHIT was the music bad. Worst soundtrack I've heard in a movie bar none, it was sub daytime soap opera shit.
Rated 18 Apr 2013
44
13th
The characters are boring and unengaging. Their reactions are overly dramatic and nonsensical. The movie seems to think the interesting story here is the debate over whether or not he's lying. I don't care if he's lying, I just want to hear his story!
Rated 16 May 2014
80
57th
It's not as awesome as many other films I can name but rarely can I say that a film is perfect in what it was meant to be, and this movie is perfect in that sence. Perfect not in the sence that it's theoretically completely unimprovable (I'm sure some geniusses could improve the script), no instead rather the same as what one calls.... a perfect moment, in the same way... it was a perfect film for that subtype of film. Just watch it if your taste of intellectual films corresponds to mine so far.
Rated 13 Mar 2020
93
78th
A-
Rated 19 Sep 2010
89
78th
I really enjoyed this movie. No action, no special effects, just a great story and good acting. Definitely worth a watch.
Rated 03 Jun 2012
20
95th
i was lying down on a couch in a friend's house, when the said friend suggested it to me. i wasn't exactly in the mood for such movie and i thought it was boring. to this day, this is the most regretful think i have ever thought of.
Rated 06 Nov 2020
60
42nd
Concept >>> Execution. Overall it’s surprisingly captivating, although the acting, direction, writing and even minor things like bad lip syncing do keep it from being a classic. Could definitely use a remake in the hands of a more talented crew.
Rated 30 Sep 2010
85
38th
A great premise, but the acting is barely "movie of the week" quality and that ruins the story's big revelation. Oh, what could have been.
Rated 03 May 2008
96
99th
Mutlaka izlenmeli, hatta 2. kez izlenmesi sart! Orada olup deliler gibi soru sormak isteyeceksiniz.
Rated 09 Nov 2008
75
49th
Pretty good story.
Rated 10 Mar 2012
80
82nd
Proof that a huge budget, and expansive sets are not needed to make a good movie. The whole film virtually takes place in one house, yet the film is fascinating. The conversation is interesting and I loved the ending. I don't think someone could ask for something better than this with the budget this had.
Rated 13 Jun 2019
86
80th
Top 100 no:97
Rated 06 Apr 2008
73
33rd
Definitely a movie that keeps you interested and leaves a mental mark, but it had all the cinematography of a radio drama, a medium it's better suited for.
Rated 11 May 2008
97
98th
No action or special effects. Just great story telling. This movie will really make you think. Awesome!
Rated 10 Jan 2011
95
95th
very low budget, terrible directing, below-average acting yet one of the most engaging and interesting sci-fi stories I`ve ever seen... Brilliant script written very cleverly with wonderful twists at the exact right moments...I was in that room 5 minutes ago...and I believe him:)
Rated 08 Jun 2010
90
98th
It's stunning in its way of taking you along for the ride, completely wiping out the bounds of realism and surrealism and adding philosophical themes. The acting is formidable and the sudden lights-on really sweeps you off your feet and makes you guess again.
Rated 28 Aug 2011
90
96th
Tek mekana bu kadar çok mevzuyu sığdırmak çok büyük başarı.
Rated 25 Sep 2017
13
28th
6/7
Rated 29 Aug 2010
69
53rd
Great script.
Rated 17 Feb 2010
65
60th
Good. A great dialogue driven Sci-Fi without a single CGI shot almost entirely in a living room. It begins when a departing professor claims to be immortal in front of his academic friends. A real treat for those who appreciate a good story. Recommended.
Rated 15 May 2014
65
34th
Unfortunately, actings are not as good as story.
Rated 30 May 2015
87
89th
Low budgt, thought-provoking film. Not a huge fan of the whole religion thing, but it sure gives you a lot to think about. The writing is pretty good, but the acting is mostly weak. Would love to see similar concepts in films.

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