Seneca

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Seneca

2023

1h 50m

History

Drama

Biography

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

29%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Rome in 65 AD, the philosopher Seneca has been Emperor Nero‘s teacher, mentor and close advisor since childhood, he is significantly involved in his ascent. Nevertheless, Nero gets weary of Seneca and Nero uses a foiled attack on his life to falsely accuse Seneca of being an accomplice. While throwing a decadent party at his farmhouse, Seneca receives his surprising death sentence of Emperor Nero, delivered by a messenger. He must be dead by morning. He accepts his fate and, like Socrates, wants to depart from life after proffering a final lesson of his life philosophy to his followers. This last night becomes his final test: Who is he really? An opportunist, hypocrite and collaborator or, according to his selfimage, a morally upright, wise man looking death in the face without any fear?

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Wendy Ide

Screen International

It’s a film that features a lot of empty posturing, extravagant wigs, distracting set design full of stuff that is inexplicably on fire in the background, and numerous over-masticated performances.

Feb 21, 2023

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Stephen Farber

The Hollywood Reporter

The problem is with the underlying conception. Schwentke’s attempt to create a parable of the decline of the American empire seems mainly forced and fatuous.

Feb 21, 2023

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Stephanie Bunbury

Deadline Hollywood Daily

As a performance, it has at least the strength of dogged determination. As a film, however, Seneca is almost unendurable.

Oct 25, 2023

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Sarah Manvel

Critic's Notebook

Pretentious teenagers who fancy themselves deep thinkers and film viewers who love an insane time will swallow this beautiful monstrosity whole. God bless “Seneca” and all who sail in her, and may it not be the last time we see Julian Sands on screen.

Mar 15, 2023

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Luke Gorham

In Review Online

Seneca — On the Creation of Earthquakes is roughly as audience-unfriendly as films come, sometimes to its benefit, but mostly otherwise.

Mar 6, 2023

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Anna Bogutskaya

The Playlist

John Malkovich is an actor so adept at delivering seething, blistering contempt that he makes the film almost watchable.

Rated: D

Feb 25, 2023

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kelly c

This is not an indie art film purporting to be high minded while steeping in self-indulgence. It is not creatively graphic nor riddled with pithy one liners for would be edgelords to recite. Nor is it draped psychedelic imagery, cinematographic saturation or seeking to draw overwrought parallels between ancient and modern. It is not a spectacle but a reflection. It is not overacted as some suggest, but cast and performed in a manner that reflects both the figures/characters as presented and more in the tradition of theater than tv drama or day rate historical reenactment. It is a simple tale about humanity, philosophy and ego. There are certainly parallels in the modern world. The staging handles this rather subtly and seamlessly without drawing attention to or seeking to explain it. However, to the extent that anyone wants to more specifically assign elements of the film as critiques of particular nations, cultures or individuals... I would suggest that this film wasn't for them - their presuppositions and thus expectations not met... or, that perhaps they saw a bit too much of themselves or their world within it, chose to look away and steer others from it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

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Robert Schwentke

Director

John Malkovich

Seneca

Tom Xander

Nero

Louis Hofmann

Lucilius

Geraldine Chaplin

Cecilia

Wolfram Koch

Fabius

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Synopsis

Rome in 65 AD, the philosopher Seneca has been Emperor Nero‘s teacher, mentor and close advisor since childhood, he is significantly involved in his ascent. Nevertheless, Nero gets weary of Seneca and Nero uses a foiled attack on his life to falsely accuse Seneca of being an accomplice. While throwing a decadent party at his farmhouse, Seneca receives his surprising death sentence of Emperor Nero, delivered by a messenger. He must be dead by morning. He accepts his fate and, like Socrates, wants to depart from life after proffering a final lesson of his life philosophy to his followers. This last night becomes his final test: Who is he really? An opportunist, hypocrite and collaborator or, according to his selfimage, a morally upright, wise man looking death in the face without any fear?

Director: Robert Schwentke
Producer: Karim Debbagh, Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti
Screenwriter: Robert Schwentke, Matthew Wilder, Robert Schwentke, Matthew Wilder
Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
Production Co: Filmgalerie 451, Kasbah Films
Genre: History, Drama, Biography, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 8, 2025
Runtime: 1h 50m

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