The Minimalists: Less Is Now

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Jason M Self serving nonsense Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/27/24 Full Review keith s The film is a documentary focused on two people (the directors) Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who were both living the "American Dream" which meant earning lots of money and working very long hours, allowing them to buy more things which they thought would make them happier. The film is mainly about the time after they discovered minimalism' and they make their case about why it is so good. At one point they cycled through interviews of different people who had just discovered minimalism' which was really interesting and reminded me anyone can be a minimalist. It was documentary made up mostly of mock scenes because they had no idea that this film was ever going to be made. Therefore they didn't actually have much footage of the stuff that happened in their lives leading up to this point. This gave it a sort of mockumentary vibe, but still a good film anyway though. My least favourite part of the film was the point where they went into their personal lives, as some elements were slightly too much in depth. I couldn't see a reason why they had to include this so much, as they could have had a longer time with the interviewed people's stories to show that minimalism actually works. Imagine a life of less. A life of passion unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world around you. Well, what you are imagining is an intentional life. It's not a perfect life. And it's not an easy life. But it's a simple one.' That was my favourite quote from the documentary because I can really imagine what he is talking about and it makes sense to me. Some quotes like ...nothing except everything is the same' is just weird but any way! I learnt quite a bit about what it means to be minimalist'. I think there are many factors but the most important is keeping yourself happy and not re-entering the vicious cycle of consumerism. Review by Zac T. (Age 11 yrs.) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/17/23 Full Review Artlab H The film was based on Minimalism, which was originally popularised by the artist Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Many people have adopted Minimalism in their lives as a response to consumerism and now feel that the time is for less and wish for people to live more simple lives. The film showed many of these people and interviewed them so they got to explain what minimalism means to them. I think the film was very well filmed, engaging and put together as it was easy to understand and follow and it xplained all of the aspects perfectly. I learnt about minimalist approaches to design and minimalist approaches to living. I actually did a clearout of my own room a few years back, using Feng Shui and the Marie Kondo method, so currently I do not think I suffer from ‘stuffitis' as I have a lot less now then I did before! My favourite quote from the film was "We are binging on all the wrong things" which is clear and true. I would recommend this film to others especially to people who are looking to learn art and design and people interested in decluttering their lives. Review by Mai F. (11 yrs.) Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review Beau A I came across this sea of enlightenment just in time for spring cleaning. I discovered them on YouTube thanks to Rich Roll. Yes, what others have said about them being "rehearsed, acted, and clean" is correct, but it makes sense when you look at their social media, website, and so on. It's not about them being like that in this, but it sounds like it's just a better version of the first one to reach people like me who would not have been taken seriously by the previous one's quality and look. Those looking for a deep dive into the subject should probably look elsewhere or wait for these two. The dudes are not actors but genuinely believe in the Minimalism form of living; in their attempt to make a coherent and bold documentary, it ends up looking and feeling like that. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/11/23 Full Review the s Oh, please. This isn't about minimalism. This is a duo of guys talking about themselves and their lives incessantly. About how horrible their lives were and how successful they became and how sad they were after they became rich. These two guys traded in their "stuff" for inappropriately gigantic egos. Look, folks…want a less cluttered life? You don't need a book or documentary for that. Just donate the things you don't use regularly. This obsession with getting rid of things is more annoying than the idea of clutter and consumerism If you ask me. I'd rather have too much stuff than buy into the idea of minimalism If it's going to turn me into a pretentious egoist. No thanks. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Pablo B The summary and title intrigued me immediately when I came across this on Netflix. This quickly spiraled into an awful mess of a documentary. A common theme that is presented often throughout the film is that the person speaking, was unhappy and had some void in their life and the way they communicated made it come across like everyone has that same void in their life. Josh and Ryan at least comment that they aren't trying to proselytize anyone on the topic. Met by small crowds and empty rooms and few people at book signings their anecdotal takes on their own unhappiness and projecting that on everyone else seem off target. There was a lack of diversity most of the time in the interactions with people. The anecdotal conclusions that they draw may speak more about their generation and the people who seek them out rather than any greater core issues. I gave this documentary two tries and just couldn't get through to the end of it. They seem like genuine people, who have had some rough experiences in life and have not been able to reconcile with those issues. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/22 Full Review Read all reviews

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