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Transcendence

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for Transcendence PG-13 Released Apr 18, 2014 1h 59m Sci-Fi Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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19% Tomatometer 225 Reviews 37% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), the world's foremost authority on artificial intelligence, is conducting highly controversial experiments to create a sentient machine. When extremists try to kill the doctor, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed. Will's wife, Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), and best friend, Max (Paul Bettany), can only watch as his thirst for knowledge evolves to an omnipresent quest for power, and his loved ones soon realize that it may be impossible to stop him.
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Transcendence

Transcendence

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Critics Consensus

In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp.

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Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi Punch Drunk Critics There's no surprise here; no nuance. And without any understanding of its subject matter or any interest in making others understand, either, Transcendence gives you very little reason to care. Rated: 2/5 Jan 9, 2017 Full Review David Sims The Atlantic Pfister and Paglen are going for emotional intimacy, but they forgot to add enough shading to their ensemble to land any kind of punch. Sep 22, 2016 Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire Pfister manages to put up one eye-catching image after another, yet never engages us for more than a moment. Jun 18, 2016 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies “Transcendence” looked good on paper but not in execution. Rated: 2/5 Aug 27, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Transcendence looks like a top-notch production, but nothing about it stands out in any way. Rated: 2/4 Aug 15, 2022 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Asks some interesting questions but might have been more thought provoking if it was a better movie Rated: 2/5 Feb 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Glyn M Watching this in 2025 June brings the reality of AI alot closer to home. We are closer now to this reality than ever. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/21/25 Full Review Andrew W In 2014, this premise was a sci-fi, distant future concept. In 2022, federal funding was authorized within Executive Order 14073-Enhancing the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/10/25 Full Review Audience Member Deserves a better rating, worth watching in 2025 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/03/25 Full Review Noah N I am incredibly surprised by all the negative reviews. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it; I guess it just isn't for everyone... It is a great movie and deserves a much better rating in my opinion. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review d y For a movie made in 2014, Transcendence is an interesting movie to watch in 2025, when the world is full of AI. The kind of future the movie depicts is thought-provoking as we try to build self-awareness into AI. Worth watching if you are into this kind of ideas. I don’t feel bored at all. But most people cannot fully understand the depth behind it, or lack the genuine interest to understand it. Sadly they naturally give bad reviews. A typical movie with a topic too deep to be widely appreciated by everyone. But overall nice movie!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review D H An interesting premise executed extremely poorly. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Transcendence

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Movie Info

Synopsis Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), the world's foremost authority on artificial intelligence, is conducting highly controversial experiments to create a sentient machine. When extremists try to kill the doctor, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed. Will's wife, Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), and best friend, Max (Paul Bettany), can only watch as his thirst for knowledge evolves to an omnipresent quest for power, and his loved ones soon realize that it may be impossible to stop him.
Director
Wally Pfister
Producer
Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Kate Cohen, Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter, David Valdes, Aaron Ryder
Screenwriter
Jack Paglen
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
DMG Entertainment, Straight Up Films, Alcon Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action and Violence|Brief Strong Language|Sensuality|Some Bloody Images)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 18, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 14, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$23.0M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
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