Helvetica

2007

1 hr. 20 min.

Documentary

List

88%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker Gary Hustwit explores the proliferation of the typeface and how it affects our lives.

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david f

Tells the story of the most famous font with commentary on its history, design, and far-reaching influence.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

rather bloated. a lot of contrasting opinions but very little technical explanation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Succeeds in extracting flavor from the mundane. Fails in that it never featured music by the band of the same name. Satisfying nerd candy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Such a beautifully put together film, and a compelling story too. I can't believe that a documentary about a typeface turned out to be this interesting!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Overall a good documentary, but some of the people in it are fucking morons. The 'vietnam war / iraq war' lady says some of the dumbest shit I've ever heard a seemingly lucid, successful grown human say

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The documentary is very well put-together. It traces the history and the impact of the world's most ubiquitous typeface. If you are fascinated by design and love to hear different peoples' opinions on why things work and why not, then you will enjoy Helvetica.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

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Gary Hustwit

Director

Massimo Vignelli

Actor

Wim Crouwel

Actor

Matthew Carter

Actor

Hermann Zapf

Actor

Michael Bierut

Actor

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Cliff Doerksen

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

Helvetica is one of those rare films in which the exploration of a specific topic leads to expanding horizons of perception.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 7, 2008

Full Review

Bill White

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Director Gary Hustwit opens our eyes to the visual culture of typography in much the same way as Andy Warhol once freed us from the tyranny of advertising, by inviting reflection upon that which is intended as a subliminal encounter.

Rated: B

Mar 7, 2008

Full Review

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.

Goatdog's Movies

A little like a study of the American Civil War that discusses the Confederacy without mentioning the Union.

Rated: 2.5/5

Sep 25, 2007

Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide

Though their interest sometime borders on obsessive, [director] Hustwit's stellar roster of experts parse Helvetica's origins and implications with engaging passion and striking articulateness.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 14, 2007

Full Review

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Gary Hustwit explores the proliferation of the typeface and how it affects our lives.

Director: Gary Hustwit
Executive Producer: Lee Wilkins
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2017

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