Koyaanisqatsi
A hypnotic audiovisual journey from pristine landscapes to accelerating industrial civilization, where images and music become an environmental warning.
Overview
A visual symphony that critiques modern civilization's impact on nature.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- meditative
- hypnotic
- foreboding
- reflective evening
- visual meditation
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's striking visuals, brilliant score, formal daring, and ability to remain entertaining despite its absence of narration or conventional plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film entirely eschews narration and dialogue, arranging landscape, infrastructure, crowds, and technological activity through editing and Philip Glass's score.
The film moves between pristine vistas and man-made environments, making the opposition between ecological balance and industrial society its central organizing principle.
Time-lapse and other photographic techniques reshape traffic, crowds, construction, and urban rhythms into visually overwhelming patterns.
Its lack of plot, narration, and interview structure places visual composition, rhythm, and music at the center of the documentary experience.
Films like Koyaanisqatsi, and why
Baraka
shares experimental documentary form, environmental concern, immersive visual montage, and an emphasis on music over dialogue
Samsara
shares observational nature imagery, ecological themes, contemplative pacing, and minimal verbal explanation
Chronos
shares formally daring nonfiction filmmaking, social commentary, and a sensory audiovisual structure built from images and sound
Manufactured Landscapes
shares meditative landscape photography, environmental consciousness, and visually driven documentary expression
Movie Details
- Director
- Godfrey Reggio
- Release Date
- 1983-04-27
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (805)
Cast
- Ed Asner
- Pat Benatar
- Johnny Carson
- Dick Cavett
- Marilyn Chambers
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Lou Dobbs
- Linda Ellerbee
- Peter Sellers
- Thomas Dolby
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Koyaanisqatsi about?
- A hypnotic audiovisual journey from pristine landscapes to accelerating industrial civilization, where images and music become an environmental warning.
- What is Koyaanisqatsi like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Koyaanisqatsi as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Koyaanisqatsi violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Koyaanisqatsi as mild.
- What did critics think of Koyaanisqatsi?
- Critics broadly praise the film's striking visuals, brilliant score, formal daring, and ability to remain entertaining despite its absence of narration or conventional plot.
- Which films are like Koyaanisqatsi?
- Films with a similar feel include Baraka, Samsara, Chronos, and Manufactured Landscapes.
- How long is Koyaanisqatsi?
- Koyaanisqatsi runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch Koyaanisqatsi?
- In United States, Koyaanisqatsi is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
