The Bridge
A haunting observational documentary confronts the Golden Gate Bridge’s beauty and its devastating legacy as a suicide destination.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- disturbing
- melancholic
- meditative
- focused solo viewing
- mental health awareness programming
What critics said
Critics agree that the film is visually striking and emotionally powerful, but remain sharply divided over whether its direct documentation of suicide is sensitive or exploitative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Long observational views of the Golden Gate Bridge are intercut with accounts and footage concerning suicides and attempted suicides.
The film explicitly raises questions about the filmmaker’s relationship to its fraught material and was criticized as voyeuristic by some reviewers.
Interviews and bridge observations prompt questions about suicide prevention, mental illness, substance abuse, and public responsibility.
The Golden Gate Bridge is presented as an architectural wonder and notorious suicide destination.
Films like The Bridge, and why
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
observational documentary treatment of death, grief, and ethically difficult real-world footage
The Act of Killing
meditative documentary attention to mortality, human suffering, and visual contemplation
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
poignant nonfiction portrait of mental illness, suicide, and the limits of intervention
Movie Details
- Director
- Eric Steel
- Release Date
- 2006-10-27
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (230)
Cast
- Eric Geleynse
- Susan Ginwalla
- Caroline Pressley
- Gene Sprague
- Elizabeth 'Lisa' Smith
- Rachel Marker
- Tara Harrell
- Lyle Smith
- Dave Williams
- Christina Koelling
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bridge about?
- A haunting observational documentary confronts the Golden Gate Bridge’s beauty and its devastating legacy as a suicide destination.
- What is The Bridge like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bridge as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Bridge violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Bridge as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Bridge?
- Critics agree that the film is visually striking and emotionally powerful, but remain sharply divided over whether its direct documentation of suicide is sensitive or exploitative.
- Which films are like The Bridge?
- Films with a similar feel include Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, The Act of Killing, and The Devil and Daniel Johnston.
- How long is The Bridge?
- The Bridge runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bridge?
- In United States, The Bridge streams on AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection.
