Unlocking the Cage

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2:11

Unlocking the Cage

2016

1h 31m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Lawyer Steven Wise and the Nonhuman Rights Project file lawsuits to give animals such as chimpanzees, whales, dolphins and elephants limited personhood rights.

Critics Consensus

Unlocking the Cage could have benefited from a broader look at its subject, but it makes its points in an intelligent and refreshingly non-didactic way.

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Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

11/03/2020

A crisp and convincing doc.

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Maureen Ryan

Variety

02/21/2017

For those less familiar with her life, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise should serve as a bracing introduction, and as an inducement to dive into her prose, poetry and speeches.

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Brian Lowry

CNN.com

02/21/2017

At a time when so many cinematic arguments are cast in black-and-white terms, tipping the scales in one direction, it's refreshing to see one that's content to present a case that leaves room for several shades of gray.

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Bill Chambers

Film Freak Central

03/03/2022

2.5/4

The depiction of Wise's advocacy could use a little more urgency.

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Ellen Dwyer

One Room With A View

04/01/2019

4/5

It's difficult to make a documentary about a legal battle interesting...But Unlocking The Cage achieves this because at its heart is a fascinating exploration of what it is to be a person, told in an intelligent and utterly convincing way.

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Andrew Parker

The Gate

08/28/2018

Hegedus and Pennebaker present a rational argument with no bias needed, and the results are compelling.

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06/13/2017

The Writ of Habeas Corpus is a personhood right that sould be extended to chimpanzees to be free to live out their lives unconfined as the personal & social beings they innately are.

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09/13/2016

Heartwarmimg film that everyone should see.

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08/20/2016

Excellent documentary. I am so grateful to the filmmaker for bringing long overdue attention to this topic. I hope that Steven Wise and The Non Human Rights Project see the fruits of their labor sooner than later. The movie was very inspiring and I wanted to see more. A must see film!

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08/19/2016

Excellent documentary... animals being treated no better and often worse than the criminal humans we imprison. Its time to fight for their rights; Set them fee.

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08/19/2016

I absolutely loved it! I was riveted. I was moved to tears several times. It is what I believe in already, but if someone on the fence saw this, I believe it paints a convincing argument of what Steven Wise and The Nonhuman Rights Project are working towards. We don't treat our worse criminals the way we treat highly intelligent, emotional, and sentient beings just because they are of a different species. They are innocents! And just like our own human children, they deserve basic rights and respect. Not locked up in cages or zoos or laboratories. I will recommend this movie to everyone. I am so grateful for all the work that they are doing, and that progress is happening. #angels

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08/19/2016

Fascinating and educational, loved it.

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Chris Hegedus

Director

D.A. Pennebaker

Director

Chris Hegedus

Producer

Frazer Pennebaker

Producer

Rosadel Varela

Producer

Frazer Pennebaker

Executive Producer

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Unlocking the Cage: Trailer 1

2:11

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Synopsis

Lawyer Steven Wise and the Nonhuman Rights Project file lawsuits to give animals such as chimpanzees, whales, dolphins and elephants limited personhood rights.

Director: Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker
Producer: Chris Hegedus, Frazer Pennebaker, Rosadel Varela
Distributor: First Run Features
Production Co: Pennebaker Hegedus Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 5, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.6K
Runtime: 1h 31m

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