Rebirth
A suburban father enters his old friend's self-actualization retreat and finds its promise of liberation turning into psychological coercion, seduction, and violence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- unsettling
- dark
- late night viewing
- dark thriller night
What critics said
Critics and viewers found the premise and Fran Kranz's performance promising, but broadly judged the finished thriller to be derivative and poorly executed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kyle is drawn into Zack's Rebirth program, where personal growth rhetoric masks coercive group dynamics.
The retreat strips Kyle of his phone, wallet, keys, and ordinary social autonomy before subjecting him to psychodrama.
The weekend program begins as an invitation to self-actualization and becomes a bizarre, coercive descent.
Zack's supposedly liberating program challenges conventional identity while demanding conformity to its own theatrical ideals.
Films like Rebirth, and why
The Invitation
shared psychological manipulation, self-actualization critique, and identity crisis
The Sacrament
shared cult-like retreat atmosphere, seduction, and escalating social menace
Fight Club
shared critique of masculine self-improvement culture, alienation, and violent transformation
Movie Details
- Director
- Karl Mueller
- Release Date
- 2016-04-17
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 4.7 / 10 (210)
Cast
- Fran Kranz
- Adam Goldberg
- Nicky Whelan
- Harry Hamlin
- Kat Foster
- Eric Ladin
- Pat Healy
- Luis Gerardo Méndez
- Andrew J. West
- Fabianne Therese
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rebirth about?
- A suburban father enters his old friend's self-actualization retreat and finds its promise of liberation turning into psychological coercion, seduction, and violence.
- What is Rebirth like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rebirth as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Rebirth violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Rebirth as moderate.
- What did critics think of Rebirth?
- Critics and viewers found the premise and Fran Kranz's performance promising, but broadly judged the finished thriller to be derivative and poorly executed.
- Which films are like Rebirth?
- Films with a similar feel include The Invitation, The Sacrament, and Fight Club.
- How long is Rebirth?
- Rebirth runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rebirth?
- In United States, Rebirth streams on Netflix.
