Cloud Atlas

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Cloud Atlas

R

Released Oct 26, 2012

2h 52m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

288 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent) take on multiple roles in an epic that spans five centuries. An attorney harbors a fleeing slave on a voyage from the Pacific Islands in 1849; a poor composer in pre-World War II Britain struggles to finish his magnum opus before a past act catches up with him; a genetically engineered worker in 2144 feels the forbidden stirring of human consciousness -- and so on. As souls are born and reborn, they renew their bonds to one another throughout time.

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Critics Consensus

Its sprawling, ambitious blend of thought-provoking narrative and eye-catching visuals will prove too unwieldy for some, but the sheer size and scope of Cloud Atlas are all but impossible to ignore.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

I was hypnotized by Cloud Atlas.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 23, 2022

Full Review

Brandy Howard

Autostraddle

[There's'] far too many actors in this town to have to bother paying Tom Hanks $100,000,000 and putting him in nine hundred scenes as different ethnicities and races.

Aug 31, 2021

Full Review

Julie Goldman

Bitch Media

There were so many prosthetic noses.

Aug 31, 2021

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Michael Cuby

them.

Cloud Atlas tells a huge story in ways that often felt personal and small.

Oct 3, 2022

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Cloud Atlas will confound and maybe even aggravate some unwilling to, quite simply, “go with the flow.” But others will find what few have: a bold, technically awesome, and thematically enduring picture whose arrangement and ambition are unprecedented.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 21, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It’s a highly ambitious picture that pulls off an incredibly clever storytelling technique. But it could also be viewed as a three-hour grind that features many of the Wachowski’s familiar self-indulgences.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Jonathan M

Absolutely astounding film. Not one to be watched without the mind being fully engaged. So many levels of nuance, ideas, concepts, layer upon layer of intrigue. I've seen it at least half a dozen times and it still reveals new facets each time. The acting, the score, the dialogue...superb.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

Shane G

My favourite movie I've ever watched! To be fair, it isn't going to be for everyone. It's long, and it requires your full attention for the entire runtime. If you're scrolling through social media/texting/etc. you're going to miss many key points. If you can put the phone down, there should be something in it for everyone. It's often fast-paced, bouncing between 6 different stories in 6 different timelines that are all interconnected so beautifully. There's a mix of many genres with sci-fi, murder mystery thriller, comedy, period piece, romance, etc. Most main actors play at least 4 different characters who are reborn in the different timelines. The acting is brilliant, and it's so amazing to see the work the makeup and costume teams did. I've watched the movie at least 10 times and love it more with every watch. Don't let the lukewarm reviews dissuade you, it deserves a chance!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

Full Review

Ian R

I have to agree with one critic in particular, I was hypnotized by this film. There are better films that draw out the theme of freedom, but none that match the scope of this monster. It's long, but the 50 odd characters played by only a handful of actors alone, is worth the time. I found it highly satisfying.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Tyler G

A unique movie. I have never seen another movie told using this type of plot structure. For me, it works.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

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John W

If ever a movie was a 1 & 5 ☆ movie...this one is .. critically falls in the middle ...personally....it's not a great movie that's worth viewing once every couple years.... so bad it's great territory... parts of it are above average...parts of it are criminally bad....

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

Full Review

Hank M

A movie that may require rewatching it a few times and each of those times you'll discover something new

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/25

Full Review

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Lana Wachowski

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Lilly Wachowski

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Synopsis

Actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent) take on multiple roles in an epic that spans five centuries. An attorney harbors a fleeing slave on a voyage from the Pacific Islands in 1849; a poor composer in pre-World War II Britain struggles to finish his magnum opus before a past act catches up with him; a genetically engineered worker in 2144 feels the forbidden stirring of human consciousness -- and so on. As souls are born and reborn, they renew their bonds to one another throughout time.

Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
Producer: Grant Hill, Stefan Arndt, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Lilly Wachowski
Screenwriter: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: X-Filme Creative Pool, Cloud Atlas Production, Anarchos Productions Inc.
Rating: R (Sexuality/Nudity|Language|Some Drug Use|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.1M
Runtime: 2h 52m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby A, DTS

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