Microcosmos
Seen it?1996 | 80 min | Documentary
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a box office loss. 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. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 20 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 87 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide on a $6 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 16K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Marie Pérennou, Claude Nuridsany
- Jacques PerrinRécitant / Narrator (voice)