The Congress
An aging actress surrenders her identity to a technological illusion that promises artistic immortality while threatening authentic human connection.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- None
- surreal
- melancholic
- dreamy
- thoughtful movie night
- arthouse animation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Robin Wright's powerful performance and the film's ambitious animation and ideas, while finding its structure somewhat messy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Robin Wright's physical world gives way to a hand-drawn animated reality as identity and perception become unstable.
The actress's digital likeness and the chemically mediated animated world make authenticity the central conflict.
The film links the entertainment industry, psychoactive fantasy, and the desire to abandon difficult reality.
Robin's relationship with Aaron and Sarah gives the film's questions about absence, memory, and connection their human stakes.
Films like The Congress, and why
Paprika
shares a speculative meditation on reality, identity, technology, and the entertainment industry with ambitious visual world-building
Waking Life
combines live action and animation with themes of illusion, escapism, and unstable perception
The Matrix
offers dystopian science fiction centered on simulated identity, authenticity, and the seductive power of alternate realities
Being John Malkovich
explores media, artificial identity, and emotional disconnection through formally inventive speculative storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Ari Folman
- Release Date
- 2013-07-03
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (602)
Cast
- Robin Wright
- Harvey Keitel
- Jon Hamm
- Kodi Smit-McPhee
- Danny Huston
- Sami Gayle
- Michael Stahl-David
- Paul Giamatti
- Sarah Shahi
- Don McManus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Fandor
- 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 The Congress about?
- An aging actress surrenders her identity to a technological illusion that promises artistic immortality while threatening authentic human connection.
- What is The Congress like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Congress as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The Congress violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Congress.
- What did critics think of The Congress?
- Critics broadly praised Robin Wright's powerful performance and the film's ambitious animation and ideas, while finding its structure somewhat messy.
- Which films are like The Congress?
- Films with a similar feel include Paprika, Waking Life, The Matrix, and Being John Malkovich.
- How long is The Congress?
- The Congress runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Congress?
- In United States, The Congress streams on Fandor.
