Mr. Nobody
An enigmatic centenarian recounts radically divergent versions of his life, each shaped by love, chance, and one childhood decision.
Overview
A man's life unfolds in a kaleidoscope of choices and timelines, revealing the weight of every decision.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Labyrinthine
- Violence
- None
- dreamy
- melancholic
- surreal
- quiet evening
- rewatch night
What critics said
Critics and audiences broadly recognized the film's ambitious, visually inventive exploration of free will and alternate lives, while finding its complexity uneven and demanding.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nemo's account unfolds through alternate consequences of a childhood choice involving his separating parents.
The film connects Nemo's choices and possible futures with entropy, irreversible processes, and selection.
Nemo recounts his life to a reporter while shifting between being thirty-four and more than one hundred years old.
The alternate timelines and reflections on time are conveyed through surreal, visually elaborate imagery.
Films like Mr. Nobody, and why
The Fountain
shared multiverse structure, philosophical questions about choice, and emotionally entangled romantic possibilities
Cloud Atlas
shared nonlinear science fiction, identity uncertainty, and layered realities requiring active interpretation
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
shared surreal imagery, romantic longing, and psychologically complex alternate-life storytelling
The Jacket
shared cerebral speculative premise, relationship-centered drama, and ambiguity about reality and free will
Movie Details
- Director
- Jaco Van Dormael
- Release Date
- 2009-11-06
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (6378)
Cast
- Jared Leto
- Sarah Polley
- Diane Kruger
- Linh-Dan Pham
- Rhys Ifans
- Natasha Little
- Toby Regbo
- Juno Temple
- Allan Corduner
- Daniel Mays
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mr. Nobody about?
- An enigmatic centenarian recounts radically divergent versions of his life, each shaped by love, chance, and one childhood decision.
- What is Mr. Nobody like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mr. Nobody as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as labyrinthine.
- Is Mr. Nobody violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mr. Nobody.
- What did critics think of Mr. Nobody?
- Critics and audiences broadly recognized the film's ambitious, visually inventive exploration of free will and alternate lives, while finding its complexity uneven and demanding.
- Which films are like Mr. Nobody?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fountain, Cloud Atlas, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and The Jacket.
- How long is Mr. Nobody?
- Mr. Nobody runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mr. Nobody?
- In United States, Mr. Nobody streams on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel.
