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Poster for Fast, Cheap & Out of Control

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control

Seen it?

1997 | 83 min | Documentary

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 23 min.
What might put you off
Nothing much for most grown-ups.

Errol Morris interweaves the stories of four men, each driven to create eccentric worlds from their unique obsessions, all of which involve animals: a lion tamer shares his theories on the mental processes of wild animals; a topiary gardener devotes a lifetime to shaping bears and giraffes out of hedges and trees; a man fascinated with hairless mole rats; and an MIT scientist who has designed complex, autonomous robots that can crawl like bugs.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    91% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $879K worldwide

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Errol Morris

  • Dave HooverHimself (Wild Animal Trainer)
  • George MendonçaHimself (Topiary Gardener)
  • Raymond A. MendezHimself (Mole-Rat Specialist) (as Ray Mendez)
  • Rodney BrooksHimself - Robot Scientist