Overview
A harrowing journey through the heart of darkness in search of gold and glory.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- foreboding
- oppressive
- hallucinatory
- serious film night
- arthouse cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Herzog's haunting historical adventure as a visually stunning, mythic, and psychologically intense achievement elevated by Klaus Kinski's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The conquistador expedition and search for El Dorado become an extreme fable of imperial obsession and madness.
The Amazon, river journey, and saturated imagery are repeatedly presented as overwhelming visual compositions.
Don Lope de Aguirre seizes control of the expedition and subordinates survival, loyalty, and reason to personal conquest.
The Spanish search for gold in post-Inca Peru is driven by wealth, domination, and the fantasy of El Dorado.
Films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God, and why
The New World
Shares a historically grounded expedition, oppressive wilderness, colonial violence, and psychologically destabilizing descent into madness.
Fitzcarraldo
Shares Herzogian existential intensity, hostile natural landscapes, obsessive protagonists, and visually monumental adventure filmmaking.
The Mission
Shares grim historical adventure, imperial ambition, brutal survival, and a fatalistic confrontation with an unforgiving environment.
The Lost City of Z
Shares a doomed exploration narrative, colonial power struggles, and atmospheric immersion in remote South American wilderness.
Movie Details
- Director
- Werner Herzog
- Release Date
- 1972-12-29
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1304)
Cast
- Klaus Kinski
- Helena Rojo
- Del Negro
- Ruy Guerra
- Peter Berling
- Cecilia Rivera
- Daniel Ades
- Edward Roland
- Alexandra Cheves
- Armando Polanah
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, History Vault, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Aguirre, the Wrath of God about?
- A doomed conquistador expedition drifts into an Amazonian nightmare as ambition transforms leadership into madness.
- What is Aguirre, the Wrath of God like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Aguirre, the Wrath of God as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Aguirre, the Wrath of God violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Aguirre, the Wrath of God as brutal.
- What did critics think of Aguirre, the Wrath of God?
- Critics broadly regard Herzog's haunting historical adventure as a visually stunning, mythic, and psychologically intense achievement elevated by Klaus Kinski's performance.
- Which films are like Aguirre, the Wrath of God?
- Films with a similar feel include The New World, Fitzcarraldo, The Mission, and The Lost City of Z.
- How long is Aguirre, the Wrath of God?
- Aguirre, the Wrath of God runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Aguirre, the Wrath of God?
- In United States, Aguirre, the Wrath of God streams on fuboTV, Philo, History Vault, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
