Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- darkly humorous
- provocative
- tense
- media satire night
- dark thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the provocative media satire more inventive in premise than successful in execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story is presented through a documentary film crew observing Katy, Rex, contestants, and network personnel during production.
The proposed Russian roulette program turns lethal risk into a contest for audience share and a five-million-dollar prize.
Loaded guns, live broadcasting, contestants, and network promotion frame death as a television commodity.
Network executives and production staff discuss a lethal game through the ordinary language of programming, promotion, and ratings.
Films like Live!, and why
Man Bites Dog
Shared mockumentary form, media satire, ethical collapse, and darkly comic treatment of sensational entertainment.
Network
Shared critique of television spectacle, ratings-driven exploitation, and morally corrosive entertainment culture.
Series 7: The Contenders
Shared reality television premise, escalating competition, and satirical examination of manufactured public spectacle.
The Truman Show
Shared found-footage presentation, dark humor, and entertainment industry characters confronting staged violence.
Movie Details
- Director
- Bill Guttentag
- Release Date
- 2007-11-01
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (164)
Cast
- Eva Mendes
- David Krumholtz
- Rob Brown
- Katie Cassidy
- Jay Hernandez
- Eric Lively
- Monet Mazur
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan
- Danny Comden
- Paul Michael Glaser
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Live! about?
- A television executive and a documentary filmmaker gamble with lethal reality programming in a mordantly satirical battle for ratings.
- What is Live! like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Live! as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Live! violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Live! as graphic.
- What did critics think of Live!?
- Critics generally found the provocative media satire more inventive in premise than successful in execution.
- Which films are like Live!?
- Films with a similar feel include Man Bites Dog, Network, Series 7: The Contenders, and The Truman Show.
- How long is Live!?
- Live! runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Live!?
- In United States, Live! streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
