Ascension
A visually hypnotic observational documentary maps the Chinese Dream through factories, workers, consumption, and the relentless logic of growth.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- contemplative
- sardonic
- unsettling
- thoughtful movie night
- documentary festival viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Jessica Kingdon's documentary as a formally inventive and visually compelling examination of China's productivity-driven economic order and its social costs.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film juxtaposes productivity, innovation, consumer aspiration, and working-class labor under the rhetoric of the Chinese Dream.
Its cinematic portrait of contemporary China proceeds through observed workplaces, commercial spaces, and training environments rather than interviews or overt exposition.
The film is noted for absorbingly cinematic imagery of factories, production lines, workers, and consumer-oriented spaces.
The stated subject is the pursuit of the Chinese Dream, viewed through labor, inequality, and the priority given to productivity and innovation.
Films like Ascension, and why
American Factory
observational documentary filmmaking examining labor, class, and economic systems through striking industrial imagery
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
immersive nonfiction portrait of workers shaped by global capitalism and institutional pressures
Manufactured Landscapes
formally controlled documentary critique of consumer culture, labor, and economic inequality
The Social Dilemma
quietly unsettling observational study of contemporary society and the human cost of productivity
Movie Details
- Director
- Jessica Kingdon
- Release Date
- 2021-10-08
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (84)
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 Ascension about?
- A visually hypnotic observational documentary maps the Chinese Dream through factories, workers, consumption, and the relentless logic of growth.
- What is Ascension like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ascension as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ascension violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Ascension.
- What did critics think of Ascension?
- Critics broadly regard Jessica Kingdon's documentary as a formally inventive and visually compelling examination of China's productivity-driven economic order and its social costs.
- Which films are like Ascension?
- Films with a similar feel include American Factory, The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Manufactured Landscapes, and The Social Dilemma.
- How long is Ascension?
- Ascension runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ascension?
- In United States, Ascension streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
