Megalopolis (2024) Movie Review

In Francis Ford Coppola's fable Megalopolis, the city of New Rome is the main conflict between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist in favor of a utopian future, and the greedy mayor Franklyn Cicero. Between them is Julia Cicero, her loyalty divided between her father and her beloved. Megalopolis stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman. Should Megalopolis be on your watchlist? Thanks for checking out my Megalopolis (2024) Movie Review!
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*****
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*****
My couch rating system:
5 - A must-watch - do not pass this one up
4 - It's really good, you should see it
3 - It's OK - maybe good for a rental
2 - It's not that good and I wouldn't recommend it
1 - It's terrible and I definitely don't recommend it
0 - Cutting off a finger is better than watching this
#megalopolis #adamdriver #aubreyplaza #giancarloesposito #coppola

[@markhernden9472]

Coppola is his own hard act to follow after The Godfather 1&2 and Apocalypse Now. I'll see this out of curiosity but I'm sure 3 out of 5 couches is they way I will feel as well.

[@PeterKnagge]

There's a wide array of opinions about this film, both positive & highly negative. Looks like critics are finally getting some kind of back bone to make their own personal opinions instead of following the crowd. It's too late, I've given up caring about critics opinions.

[@moomoopuppy508]

Robin Williams in WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

[@Nostromo2144]

One of his best for sure, but I'd hardly call the descent to hell a utopian movie! ;)

[@roberttaylor9259]

Producers: hey Francis, you want to play this shot up a subtly? Francis: Yes! Cover him in Gold. Producer: I see.

[@CraigJClark]

The Fountain (dir. Darren Aronofsky) and anything directed by David Lynch.

[@Transformers217]

The experience of watching this film was crazy! You see a real actor during the screening asking Adam Driver’s character a question after a big catastrophe happens in New Rome. It is a very good film, but I understand why many are going to hate it. 😂

[@stevenmflores]

I loved it.

[@GIBKEL]

Folks should try watching The Fall. Dreamy strange movie.

[@rustyshackleford6035]

That movie gave me vertigo all that time spent on the tower looking down if I didn't have a fear of heights before I would now 🫨😵‍💫😰😂 another Good survivalist type of movie involving heights is Frozen about the sky Left that gets stuck 👍

[@katiarobinowicz]

The Fall is another one if those beautiful movies with great storytelling and vision

[@musicvibe88]

Dreamscape (1984) with Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert, Kate Capshaw, and the very creepy David Patrick Kelly

[@MoviesAndMunchies]

Loved that one. When the dude turned into the cobra, that freaked me out as a kid. Now, I'm sure it's pretty cringy fx, but hey... it was the 80s 😂🤣

[@waverlyking6045]

@@MoviesAndMunchies Part of the charm of 1980s cinema was the cringy effects.

[@onepcwhiz6847]

@@musicvibe88 Warriors! Come out to playeeaay! Oh wait.

[@cptclown2110]

Looking forward to this!

[@Pool-qm4og]

Brazil uncut is one of my favorite dream like films. Successful utopian films is tough. I like aspects of the mess that is Cloud Atlas. Dystopian films are so much easier to make abd lose yourself in, then utopian ideals.

[@OwenDavis-i2f]

Add this to your movie selection: "Streets of Fire" 1982 this has hit songs from the 1980's

[@namesameasu]

Hoffman is in the film because he says that Voight has a big pr***K lol, which turns out to play an important part in the film. Hoffman appears about 3 times overall. To thoroguhly enjoy this film, I believe it's important to approach it as a 1930's-like film with 21st-century special effects and modern editing. Think: Hunchback of Notre Dame from 1939 or Winterset from 1936.

[@julioblase9861]

Vanilla Sky

[@mickcv4554]

Love you drop salacious crumb reference like everyone knows it haha. Even star wars fans usually don’t know that thing’s name ;)

[@ariadnedanelle]

Holy Mountain and Black Rainbow are some favorite dream movies of mine. They are both ...unique and not for everyone but I do really like both.

[@MoviesAndMunchies]

I've not seen either... will have to look for them. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@ariadnedanelle]

@@MoviesAndMunchies "beyond the black rainbow"- I miswrote. But yeah check them out.

[@willwalker6894]

@@MoviesAndMunchiesHoly Mountain is absolutely a great artistic recommendation in an avant-garde surrealist sort of way. It’s directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky who was also first chosen to direct Dune before David Lynch. Also check out El Topo another one of his films that was a midnight film cult classic like Eraserhead and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[@normalsee4447]

Your review is the best one I’ve listened to or read yet. I’m going to see it again immediately- I loved it and agree with about 90% of everything you said. That means I’m gonna subscribe and look forward to more of your criticism of film. Thanks again for being objective and fair about the film. Most other reviews I’ve heard are just dismissive and judgmental- ignorant people trying to sound cool, saying a new kids robot movie is better. Please!!🙏🏻 👍

[@reggiefurlow1]

They just given him his flowers at this point

[@carlinio9]

Great review Chris, it sounds an interesting watch. How cool with the lights in the cinema, I will be interested if that happens across the pond. I will catch this one for sure. 😀👍

[@decodr-ring]

Caesar, Crassus, Cicero -- the original story between these historical men ended in a disastrous fratricidal bloody civil war in ancient Rome. The story in Megalopolis ends in reconciliation and hope. Coppola used a variation of deus ex machina to alter the outcome -- in this case it is a machina ex caelo "machine from heaven". To learn more about the historical context of those three powerful men, watch the video titled "Why Cicero hated Caesar" on the channel named Economics of Empire. Cheers.

[@Transformers217]

And I feel that Fishburne didn’t narrate the final title card, is because the film was coming to an end. Like we were officially in the films third act.

[@reubennoneya2413]

Thank you for actually dealing with the film directly and not the circus surrounding it.

[@faLLingFASterfeARing]

You got a like for the Janet Snakehole reference 😂😂😂

[@MoviesAndMunchies]

Glad someone appreciated that!!

[@kokconsulting2]

Houseless or unhoused is factually correct. Home is literally where your heart is ... connections, love, belonging. Lets don't insult Chris for using correct terminology. Using the term homeless is simply a way to further minimize the humanity of others, essentially saying society can take away your soul.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I always wanted Mankind's fate to be similar to what is portrayed in the original Star Trek movies. Nothing dreamy or other worldly or Artsy. We build star ships, find a way to circumnavigate the speed of Light, go to the Stars and explore, in doing so, we find solutions to our real life problems here on earth. If I knew that the world I will leave behind had that fate, I would not grieve dying.

[@ghostwolf1435]

This Movie is an Ungainly Bloated Mess I’m surprised how amateurish some of this film was Nothing is cohesive or powerful I’m stealing a line here in reference to this silly movie “ All Spaghetti No Wall “

[@LeoTheShortGuy]

Awesome

[@michaeldonaldson6923]

I will be waiting for the digital release, maybe for a sale as well. It looks great, but I've not heard anything good for a casual viewer.

[@geeloco1600]

This movie isn’t for simple minded people, just skip this one kiddo

[@michaeldonaldson6923]

@@geeloco1600 Imagine gatekeeping movies.... This would be an example of being a toxic fan.

[@geeloco1600]

@@michaeldonaldson6923 you are the one not watching it because the sheep is telling you not to, grow up

[@michaeldonaldson6923]

@geeloco1600 I never said I would not watch it. Reread the first comment, Mr. "Simple Minded"

[@Mayor_Of_Eureka17]

Dr Parnassus had some of that going on. Neverending Story

[@danielmcgriskin2104]

Glad I’ll be seeing Shaun Of The Dead 20th Anniversary over this

[@benjamindover4337]

Sounds really interesting.

[@reubennoneya2413]

The film purposefully calls back too all 100 years of cinema and specifically silent era and early post war films.

[@Mooseman327]

But why call us back to all the bad films during that period?

[@stevenmflores]

Finally a wise professional review. Every other review was just so disrespectful and clueless of the craft of Francis Coppola

[@bboutwell69]

If this film were made in the early aughts it might have been a classic. But now it feels a bit like a boomerish production when there is ripe new talent directing. The performances were ON POINT! The storytelling was sprawling and chaotic. In the end I enjoyed the production and epic scale but felt like he crammed a trilogy into one film.

[@onepcwhiz6847]

Yeah, I'm sure they're going to hire someone in Oklahoma (where I live) to go to each showing and talk to the screen. Lol

[@takhazel]

i love crazies movies excited to watch megalopolis

[@AllanGildea]

Nice insightful review, thank you.

[@ThoseStairsTheFirst]

Tomorrowland is the only utopian movie I can remember. Why only 2 utopian movies being made and the rest is dystopian scifi? This movie is important.

[@GeahkBurchill]

The film is no weirder than anything by David Lynch. No less comprehensible than JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s basically _Citizen Kane_ meets _Ben Hur_ with a little _The Crow_ and Darren Aronofsky’s _The Fountain_ for spice. The dialog is about as strange as a slightly surreal anime. However, the movie is frankly more interesting and entertaining than 95% of what’s available on Netflix. It’s irreverent even though it’s paying tribute to the history of Hollywood. Anyone who thought the movie was being serious, missed the point. It’s just as satirical as it is pretentious. The goofy mannerisms of Cesar weren’t an accident. He’s a foppish, self-important ass playing to the crowd of sycophants. He’s perceived as a genius but it only works as long as he buys into it himself. (Stopping time is a representation of his mastery over his craft) The Cesar arc is classic Greek tragedy. The hubris of an arrogant man, adored by the public, unable to see his own flaws until they’re used against him by his enemies. He loses his self confidence until the muse receives him, but first he must travel to Hades and be punished. Cicero is his foil. A pragmatic and corrupt man, fully aware of his flaws and fearful of the future Cesar represents. These are heightened performances. Almost cartoony but both actors are having a terrific time playing them. Modern audiences aren’t used to this style of acting but it’s very much like those old epics I mentioned. This isn’t bad acting. It’s acting that has fallen out of fashion. This was a movie where the director cut the leash and let them go wild and they clearly loved it. Every part of the film is joyful. Aubrey Plaza is chewing the scenery with her conniving, social climbing Femme Fatalé. The only actor I think didn’t rise to the occasion was Julia, played by Nathalie Emmanuel. She didn’t seem to cut loose and fully embody her performance the way Plaza, Driver, La Beuf, and Esposito did. Also, let’s not forget the hilarious and surprisingly layered performance by Jon Voight as Crassius. It was also fun to see Laurence Fishburne as the Major Domo Romaine. Katheryn Hunter (Syril’s mom from Andor) was super fun as Cicero’s wife. My view is the movie was fun because the cast was having fun. It was a film adaptation of a play and it maintained those theaterical elements. While the budget was high, the ambition of it was higher. Not every CGI shot was cutting edge, but again, they walk on a giant clock face in the sky! It’s not meant to be that literal! The CGI works fine as a fantasy of futurism. The strict format of modern movies we’ve become used to are because of a specific assembly-line process. Money-men fund safe movies where the Director has minimal control and the studio investment is carefully managed. It’s fine but most modern movies are boring and stale because of it. There is no doubt Megalopolis swings for the fences and is BOLD. This is the most, I don’t give a fuck, let’s DO IT! movie in a really long time. Is it good? that’s up to personal taste. Was I entertained for every second I was in the theater? Hell fuckin yeah!

[@OrggsOrggs]

Did this Drongo just say Houseless? Wtf mate.

[@JohnnyNada]

😂😂 woke crap

[@doc8013]

​@@JohnnyNadaI dare you to tell me how that is "woke crap".

[@SpideySensei72]

@@doc8013 Because it's easier to change the term of something than to actually take any significant steps to actually address and change the problem. And that, is woke crap.

[@doc8013]

@@SpideySensei72 and what does that have to do with a movie reviewer on KZbin saying the word "houseless"? Also, your characterization is excessively broad and has no real point. The opposite side of the folks you call woke deploy that method literally all the time. That has nothing to do with being woke, that has to do with not taking responsibility and kicking the can down the road. Is that woke now? Can we pick a lane with that word? Cause the way y'all use it has caused it it have no meaning whatsoever.

[@barcalona55]

Totally forgot Australia exists

[@janechoy2073]

The trailers of this movie remind me so much of Babylon, which i watched and hated the back half of so overall it wasn't a positive viewing experience.

[@ruhafla8326]

Who is John Galt?

[@Gee-xb7rt]

It definitely is a different version of Rand, especially given your hero is an architect. I feel like its a little more in touch with reality, people seem to miss Shia's character is a cult of personality politician, meant to represent most people in politics either side of the aisle.

[@TheOfficialChannelOfChannels]

What if he made ,The Godson or Goddaughter

[@kokconsulting2]

Big fish is a fave

[@reubennoneya2413]

I never felt it was long but too short to be honest.

[@kaiokendo]

1:31 fuckin sand Lucas

[@937553]

Apparently this movie will flop, but I want to see it!

[@seaninflorida9741]

Couch rating system? I'm afraid JD Vance has ruined that for us.

[@jadapandy]

Love the early works of this director, but this seems too artsy fartsy for my tastes. I can wait for it to appear on one of the platforms.

[@garikaimadzikanda5951]

We clearly saw 2 different movies. It was just a sad experience thinking that Coppola has this movie is in his filmography. It felt so bloated, pompous and unserious. I kept thinking just because you can make your passion project doesn’t mean you should 😢

[@twinnnola2318]

But who's to say that you shouldn't make a passion project if you can? Imagine how soul is an empty the world in life in general will be if people was afraid to take that step and put something out in the world not knowing of people's response and outcome? That's art it's going to be subjective and in fact your criticism and saying that is actually the theme of the whole movie which is we shouldn't be afraid to take Leaps and Bounds into the unknown but in fact attack it head on

[@SLICENSLASH]

This movie is just a director having a political or social commentary he wants to spew (positive or not), but doesn't have a vehicle to convey it. So he conjures up a movie to be the vehicle because he thinks the commentary is important enough that it should be heard by many. The problem is he has No Story to deliver it in. The movie is a jumbled collection of quotables & visuals, none of which will connect the dots for the vast majority of viewers. Suggestion: The main character is Caesar, a genius, visionary architect. Maybe if they would've shown him as a child struggling with his vast intellect & his inability to connect with ppl & particularly his mother, maybe that would've made me as the viewer care about him as person & therefore want to follow his life & it's trials throughout the movie. Without it he just feels like a device standing on a soapbox telling the audience how good the world could be if we just open our minds.

[@lizze490]

I hated it - it was surprisingly bad. And Coppola's one of my favorites.

[@dreadpiraterobertsnumba5]

I know, right? It felt like it just started falling apart in the second half. None of the characters felt like they were in the same movie. The ending should NOT have been that happy and saccharine, considering it's supposed to be a depiction of ideologies. It ABSOLUTELY was going "they are right; they are wrong" (if we're to assume this wasn't just a dream sequence). It was like a five hour had been scrunched down into a two hour film that felt like it was four hours.

[@lizze490]

​@@dreadpiraterobertsnumba5Agreed- it plodded along; was too cartoonish, the dialogue was ridiculous, green screen overload, just wasn't authentic in any way. All style and no substance, I felt nothing.

[@quiet_erp]

If you are reading this. Save your time and money. Worst movie I ever seen in my life.

[@MiikaKontio]

Great review. Movie was a beautiful mess

[@yokitosyosko]

Megalopolis tries so hard to be an intellectual masterpiece that it ends up being a hollow, pretentious mess. The movie constantly throws flashy visuals and philosophical jargon at you, but underneath all the noise, there's nothing of substance. It's like the filmmakers thought if they added enough complexity, it would come across as "deep," but instead, it feels painfully forced. People aren't dumb. Audiences can tell when something is genuinely thought-provoking versus when it’s trying too hard to appear clever. This film lacks heart and authenticity, leaving it cold and uninspiring. If you're looking for a movie that truly challenges your mind, Megalopolis is not it. Instead, it overestimates its own intelligence and ends up underwhelming anyone with even a basic sense of storytelling and character depth. Save your time-this one’s all style, no soul.

[@extraterrestrialfascisti7625]

If you must explain the movie to an audience its a bad movie.

[@charleswind8298]

Dude, those glasses scream “ I’m a Clown “.

[@MoviesAndMunchies]

They actually whisper, "I couldn't care less."

[@lymphomasurvive]

Explain your investment in another man’s appearance. I have genuine curiosity.

[@charleswind8298]

@@lymphomasurvive “ investment” ? Just a comment on a public forum, snowflake.

[@aliservan7188]

Your grip on Roman history is a little tenuous, and you seem to have overlooked references like Cicero, but the review sounded very interesting, but the movie is very... American. Not sure if it'll be relatable outside the US but looking forward to seeing it

[@Progger11]

1:37 the word is pronounced as "eth-eerie-al," not "eth-er-all."