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Waking Life

Waking Life

2001
Drama, Animation
1h 39m
In this animated drama, a man walks through what may be a dream, flowing in and out of scenarios and encounters with strange characters. (Fox Searchlight)
Your probable score
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Waking Life

2001
Drama, Animation
1h 39m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 62.39% from 3558 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3558)
Compact view
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Rated 27 Feb 2010
1
4th
The most insufferable movie ever made, with two hours of the most asinine and insipid conversations you'll ever hear. The script is something you'd expect from a pothead who dropped out of community college after attending one lecture on introduction to philosophy. Never has the adjective 'half-baked' been so apt. Oh, and the rotoscope visual style is as nauseating as the dialogue.
Rated 14 Jan 2010
57
59th
wank wank wank wank wank wank wank wank wank *splurt*
Rated 12 Dec 2006
69
23rd
I'm kind of torn. I love the visual style and the whole philosophical dream atmosphere, but too much of the actual content is half baked beyond belief.
Rated 27 Nov 2012
90
97th
"Hey, are you a dreamer?" The conversations are thought-provoking and fascinating, and the rotoscope style fits Linklater's film awesomely. Entrancing and wonderful.
Rated 16 Feb 2008
2
33rd
You can tell that he's really in love with the ideas, and some of them are interesting, but that doesn't always make for a good film. More of a curiousity than anything. Rotoscoping is novel and exciting the first time you see it, and then it quickly becomes gimmicky. Might be of some minor interest.
Rated 26 Nov 2008
36
3rd
What may have worked as a series of theater skits fails spectacularly in the medium of film. A pothead's pipe dream riddled with fundamental philosophical concepts presented in a series of interviews does not make a movie.
Rated 07 Feb 2009
15
2nd
effectively self fellating trash
Rated 18 Feb 2010
80
85th
Linklater's dreamy metaphysical journey is engaging, dazzling and beautiful. An experience for brain and eyes.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
40
19th
I mean, it's good. Kind of. And interesting. Kind of. I was really into about 4 of the conversations, but the problem is that there are like 12 or more. And some of the conversations (or monologues) are fairly trite and/or pretensions. Alright, let's just say it. Incoherent rambling. Not that interesting, basically. But a few of them are very interesting. So how to rate this? I wouldn't recommend it to others, and I'll probably never re-watch it. Let's put it that way.
Rated 19 Mar 2011
0
0th
Pointless, jejune and pretentious (but hey, it's animated!) If you know any academic philosophers and you'd like to subject them to slow, painful torture, this would be the way to go.
Rated 21 Apr 2007
41
13th
The initially interesting visual style ends up becoming really distracting and annoying, mostly due to the constant shifting of quality, which is completely pointless. The philosophy and ideas thrown around aren't offensive or anything, but they're oftentimes trivial, not very deep, and it becomes really tedious to have people reciting philosophy to you. Visually impressive but lacking otherwise.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
53rd
Basic descriptions of select philosophies/social theories. It's not "zap your mind" brilliant but it's visually pleasing and a bit of fun.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
1
0th
Easily my most hated movie of all time.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
90
96th
Very similar style to Linklaters "Slacker" but the rotoscope and highly opinionated philosophy allows you to get more out of the film every re-watch. I doubt Linklater will ever top this.
Rated 04 May 2009
6
34th
The visual style may be its only redeeming quality. This 90 minute lecture about life just doesn't work well as a film. I'd rather listen Linklater talk about it than being fed this contemplative film (if you can call it one), audacious maybe but also uneven and junky.
Rated 30 Sep 2009
81
83rd
The ideas may be presented in new and shiny ways, but they have been around for ages, and, while the film takes upon a certain philosophical cafeteria form, where well-established and simple concepts are touched on but not fully explored, the end result is delicious. I see it as a cliff notes version of the first few weeks of a philosophy 1000 course. The fact that it doesn't delve deeper helps this remain accessible to everyone, rather than simply those equipped with an interest in philosophy.
Rated 20 May 2010
60
71st
Great direction, animation and acting/voices in this exploration of dream philosophy. But while some of it is genuinely intriguing far too much feels as if you're stuck in a room with a bunch of stoned university students, babbling on about something you don't agree with in very pretentious, verbose language. A real shame because there are some truly cracking moments (particularly involving the animation) and I really wanted to enjoy this more.
Rated 14 Aug 2012
55
30th
Waking Life The biggest weakness of Waking Life is is that it is less clever than it thinks it is. The film is essentially a long string of speeches supposed to expose you to interesting ideas. Unfortunately most of the ideas are either not that interesting or not that well put.
Rated 07 Sep 2014
95
97th
This is the single most amazing, surprising, thought-provoking and astonishing film I have ever seen. I saw it 3-4 times in 10 days, every time understanding more and more. To be able to pass on in a fictive universe, philosophy this profound, is incredible. And that Linklater manages to do so, whilst actually making a somewhat narrative story, is even more incredible. I can't really describe, I can only say: WATCH this and then watch it again while you're high!
Rated 20 Apr 2007
15
1st
The crowning jewel in Linklater's portfolio of sub-art school trash. Looks interesting, but the monologues are mindnumbing and the overall tone is unrelentingly obnoxious.
Rated 25 Jul 2007
39
12th
Simplistic and pointless. The comparisons to Linklater's wonderful earlier film, Slacker, are not warranted.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
93rd
Very philosophical in nature, but extremely well-executed. This is a film where if you wind up liking it, you'll definitely watching it more than once. This is another artistic hit for Linklater.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
7th
After a while, the philosophical ramblings become tedious and uninteresting. As a philosophical argument? Pretty interesting. As a film? Eh...
Rated 23 Aug 2007
50
21st
While the visual style is innovating, the dialogues begin to be really uninteresting after a while; and considering one is pumped of that kind of boring, new-age crap the movie becomes monotonous and unentertaining.
Rated 14 Oct 2007
95
96th
Stimulating cinema, from a visual standpoint, yes, but also in the narrative that emerges from this disparate collection of dialogues. The animation is consistently engaging, the changes in quality and style serving as intrusions into the narrative (while also working well to support the random quality of dreams). Further, the conversations are variations on a theme, on what it means to live, to be human. And Soderbergh's humorous moment reminds us Linklater doesn't take himself too seriously.
Rated 15 Feb 2008
85
98th
Interesting and mind-expanding one-of-a-kind film.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
97
99th
Philisophical, emoitional, beautiful and celebratory. One of the most original visions ever caught on film. One of my all time favorites.
Rated 31 Mar 2008
100
99th
Better than most dreams.
Rated 19 May 2008
6
55th
Very much like Linklater's "Slacker" but much more sophisticated. Some really interesting conversations but a few boring ones. The visual style is really cool as well. It was also cool to see Celine and Jesse together again. But not one of my favorites.
Rated 29 Jul 2008
100
96th
great movie but requires a great attention span.
Rated 14 Sep 2008
100
93rd
Simply brilliant.
Rated 22 Nov 2008
95
76th
REALLY mind blowing.
Rated 15 Dec 2008
60
32nd
Considering how time-consuming the animation process is, and how well it brings out the unique strengths of an artist, using it to animate bits and pieces of baby's first philosophy lectures seems like a massive waste of potential, and the movie comes off as a story of a young man who has the most boring dreams ever. What little truly dream-like material there is is excellent, and some Slacker-esque encounters are a welcome throwback, but mostly the film is just an iffy idea with killer style.
Rated 10 Mar 2009
90
95th
Deep. I took a few Vicodin before watching it so that may have extended the depth.
Rated 18 Apr 2009
54
6th
This film swung between interesting and annoying (even obnoxious) for me. The scenes where characters are actually conversing like normal people (the Celine and Jesse scene; the two women talking in the cafe) were great; at other times, I felt like I was sitting through a jargon-filled university lecture (and a rather abrasive one at that, perhaps because of the art style, which didn't always work for me). A mixed bag.
Rated 02 Aug 2009
84
45th
An artistically interesting film, though as the years go on the rotoscoping isn't as groundbreaking to watch. Basically a series of coffeehouse-like philosphical speeches for an hour and a half. Had some cool, thought-provoking parts, while during other parts I wanted to just smack the speaker in the mouth.
Rated 10 Aug 2009
91
94th
So beautiful. I mean god damn. Much more philosophical than Slacker, and although I still prefer that movie, this is brilliant stuff.
Rated 11 Aug 2009
83
74th
More of an essay than a film. But a good one
Rated 30 Oct 2009
98
95th
Thought-provoking meditation on philosophy presented in a unique format that keeps your attention throughout. The film can leave the viewer tired by the end in the constant barrage of ideas, since each idea is mind-blowing. This movie changed my life, in particular the "Holy Moment" scene.
Rated 26 Nov 2009
10
0th
Pretentious as fuck.
Rated 25 Feb 2010
88
97th
Linklater's films are about the space in between people; they're about the process of sharing and understanding ideas, and the magic involved in their communication. Waking Life is an inspiring celebration of the community of ideas. The continuity of human thought and the desire to explain what we don't know is gratifying and inspirational in a weird way. In some ways it's an incomplete film because it's not finished until you've had a dialogue with the stuff that's thrown at you.
Rated 01 Aug 2010
85
79th
As a photographer and an avid lucid dreamer, this film speaks to me on a tender level. Definitely not a movie to turn your brain off to.
Rated 31 Aug 2010
0
12th
An experimental feature shot in live action (by Linklater) and then painted over via computer (by, or under, Bob Sabiston): neither fish nor fowl, though certainly fishy and possibly foul. The undulating, sloshing animation on top of the already unsteady camerawork is very hard on the eyes.
Rated 16 Sep 2010
60
15th
sometimes I look at back and try to remember some movies, and this is one of the ones which I can't remember anything!
Rated 07 Oct 2010
85
81st
Endlessly fascinating, I could listen to most of these characters for hours and hours, despite how pretentious or "hipster" they seem. It's a hard sell, but the rotoscope animation makes this film all the more weird and wonderful, which makes it even harder a sell.
Rated 24 Oct 2010
84
68th
I don't know what to really make of this movie. I can so easily create arguments as to why it's terrible - as I felt it was sometimes, being skeptical throughout it, thinking it was just pretentious. But the truth is, when it was over, I felt really moved. And in the end I had enjoyed the blaberring.
Rated 23 Nov 2010
80
80th
I guess when you hang out with my friends all the time this movie isn't very impressive; that is to say there's nothing to be found here that hasn't been covered by a few drunk nights of conversation. Although I guess when all your friends have taken at least one philosophy class in their lifetime, one could only assume we've graduated beyond the basic tenants of the nature of this film. Great watch for the philosophy absent minded person though. Wow. I'm an elitist prick.
Rated 09 Dec 2011
30
30th
A bunch of boring, pretentious conversations with matchingly insufferable visuals.
Rated 13 Jan 2012
38
5th
Tiresome animated film begins by using a nauseating visual style -- I nearly stopped watching after the 10 minute mark due to motion sickness -- but eventually settles down into a series of pompous, glib philosophical musings. Means to be quite deep, but emerges as a 'Philosophy's Greatest Hits' album, with no attempt to honestly engage with the admittedly intriguing ideas and thoughts which are presented. Made intolerable though by its hideous animation design.
Rated 21 Nov 2014
5
70th
that i rather enjoyed this melange of hipster philosophy suggests that part of me is contained within this movie, and that is very troubling indeed.
Rated 24 Nov 2014
75
79th
No point in writing a personal review. All I wanted to say, AndreasThau has already said. See it.
Rated 27 May 2016
43
30th
Has anyone ever referred to this film as Wanking Life?
Rated 03 Jun 2018
80
76th
Philosophy 101 on acid. Very fun to watch even if the ideas presented will not be new to anyone with even a passing interest in the world they live in.
Rated 06 Feb 2019
65
47th
I know that Waking Life is a good film... I just also feel like Richard Linklater got really high with some friends and started talking, then suddenly that was the script. Animation-wise, it's really cool. I love the rotoscoping. That being said, it's hard to watch this just out of the blue as it's more of a novelty than anything else.
Rated 17 Dec 2006
75
73rd
About as good a score as I can give for a movie I can't really "watch".
Rated 20 Dec 2006
89
80th
Very unique. Thought and movion-sickness provoking.
Rated 24 Dec 2006
70
60th
Visually gratifing, but often pretentious
Rated 07 Jan 2007
73
49th
Interesting discussions, but some are long-winded. Really nice animation.
Rated 15 Jan 2007
53
26th
Interesting visual style, but the narrative structure and lack of direction ultimately drag the film down tremendously.
Rated 29 Jan 2007
85
91st
Disjointed, computer rotoscoped feature about the nature of dreams. Tripped out animation and wispy half imagined ideas float across your consciousness. If only anything Ralph Bakshi had ever made turned out so cool.
Rated 14 Jun 2007
80
60th
Amazing animation, but drags on way too long.
Rated 12 Jul 2007
90
66th
Strange, and really interesting.
Rated 05 Aug 2007
37
7th
Definitely innovative, butwhile it succeeds in its admirations it fails in its execution. The movie feels as though it was written by sixteen-year-olds while high, and the rotoscoping tech used throughout feels halfway between experimental and drafted.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
16th
I didn't hate it as much as some of my friends or worship it as much as others. There are some neat ideas in the dialogue for moments and then some dead horses that are just battered with rotoscoped fists.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
18th
Beautiful, mind-blowing animation. Everything else about the movie is trite and pretentious.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
85th
One of the most interesting movie of all time!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
83rd
Rick is the man
Rated 14 Aug 2007
69
46th
Really good, but not really the kind of movie you want to watch more than once.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
13th
i've searched in the dictionary for the right words to describe this film, and came up with these: blithering, gabby, garrulous, loquacious (nice one, didn't know that), talkative and long-tongued.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
23rd
Pseudo-intellectual discussion of intriguing philosophy but interesting to watch for it's striking visual style.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
31st
The art and animation are really cool, but all the existentialist stuff doesn't do it for me.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
96th
If you spend weeks thinking about your life, it's time to go for it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
33rd
Psuedo-Philosophical babble, but interesting for conversation and thinking afterwards. It's mostly odds and ends of questions that a second year college student might ask.
Rated 12 Sep 2007
90
79th
Watching the art styles shift at the vocal whim of the changing narrator, as the viewer runs a gauntlet of possibility in the human condition in relation to reality challenges the viewer at every angle.
Rated 14 Sep 2007
80
67th
Made me think
Rated 16 Nov 2007
75
81st
interesting bizarre film, not for everyone.
Rated 13 Jan 2008
74
54th
Some very interesting conversations but also quite a few boring ones. Rotoscopy looks nice.
Rated 27 Jan 2008
90
72nd
Trips you out
Rated 14 Feb 2008
90
66th
Tremendous exploration of dreams and their nature.
Rated 16 Feb 2008
78
80th
Need to watch again
Rated 09 Mar 2008
70
79th
This is tough going. If you have the patience & can engage your brain you will be rewarded. Otherwise, go watch an action movie.
Rated 02 Jul 2008
85
92nd
Loses a bit of its magic after repeated viewings; remains one of the most obvious go-to trip films.
Rated 25 Sep 2008
70
61st
Interesting effect used to much more advantage in A scanner darkly
Rated 03 Oct 2008
75
53rd
gives me far too many acid flashbacks, but otherwise good
Rated 06 Oct 2008
80
65th
An interesting movie but not nearly as amazing as I once thought. Sure, it's philosophical and its animation is fairly innovative, but there is not enough to make me watch it that often.
Rated 23 Oct 2008
69
57th
Cool visual style and dialogues that make your head spin at times. There's not really a cohesive structure though. The whole film is pretty much like a chaotic dream.
Rated 02 Dec 2008
70
30th
That's no Movie it's a boring chain of more or less overrated conversations about the sense of life...and the visual style makes me nervous.
Rated 04 Dec 2008
86
77th
This is one of those movies that you don't know even what's happening, but you are just felling masmerized.
Rated 06 Dec 2008
55
4th
The movie is interesting, but doesn't quite manage to pull you in like Linklater's own A Scanner Darkly where both the style and the narrative are perfected.
Rated 17 Dec 2008
67
60th
This flick has a lot of potential, though it starts pretty boring. The rotoscopy is okay as soon as story starts to develop, but in the beginning it is quite shaky and disturbing. Story contains thoughtful conversations between non-interesting ones. But it is too literal and episodic; animation just supports the text. It never took out of it's own. Flick brought into my mind the book If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino, but does not reach that level ever.
Rated 04 Jan 2009
60
22nd
okay... this is probably the most strange movie i've ever watched. i don't like it as a movie cuz all of the things in it are moving - and i got sick if i watch it more then 10 min. but i downloaded the subs and they are amazing!
Rated 05 Feb 2009
83
82nd
Worth watching a few times. Basically it's just a bunch of other peoples interesting ideas thrown together...... Philosophy 101.
Rated 31 Mar 2009
45
15th
yeesh
Rated 31 Mar 2009
60
5th
boring:(
Rated 05 Apr 2009
75
82nd
A unique, 'one-of-a-kind' type of movie. All in all, a very intriguing and thought-provoking experience.
Rated 04 May 2009
3
40th
"An intriguing and visually impressive film squarely aimed at the art house crowd."
Rated 23 Jun 2009
50
15th
I fell asleep and that is never a good sign.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
72
63rd
Interesting. Although it doesn't look all that deep into any question, it starts up your thinking.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
85
83rd
An incredible movie.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
75
41st
Watch it once and then shelve it away.

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