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IMDbPro

The Zero Theorem

  • 20132013
  • RR
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
48K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,670
1,192
Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem (2013)
A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him.
Play trailer2:28
7 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaFantasy
A hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless. But meaning is wha... Read allA hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless. But meaning is what he already craves.A hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless. But meaning is what he already craves.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
48K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,670
1,192
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Pat Rushin(screenplay)
      • Terry Gilliam(additional dialogue)
    • Stars
      • Christoph Waltz
      • Lucas Hedges
      • Mélanie Thierry
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Pat Rushin(screenplay)
      • Terry Gilliam(additional dialogue)
    • Stars
      • Christoph Waltz
      • Lucas Hedges
      • Mélanie Thierry
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 166User reviews
    • 251Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos7

    UK Trailer
    Trailer 2:28
    UK Trailer
    International Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    International Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Official Trailer
    Official U.S. Trailer
    Trailer 1:57
    Official U.S. Trailer
    The Zero Theorem
    Clip 1:40
    The Zero Theorem
    "The Director"
    Featurette 1:38
    "The Director"
    Behind the Scenes
    Featurette 1:53
    Behind the Scenes

    Photos123

    David Thewlis in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    David Thewlis and Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Mélanie Thierry and Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Lucas Hedges in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Mélanie Thierry in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    David Thewlis in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Christoph Waltz and Lucas Hedges in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Mélanie Thierry in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    David Thewlis, Christoph Waltz, and Lucas Hedges in The Zero Theorem (2013)
    Ben Whishaw in The Zero Theorem (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christoph Waltz
    Christoph Waltz
    • Qohen Leth
    Lucas Hedges
    Lucas Hedges
    • Bob
    Mélanie Thierry
    Mélanie Thierry
    • Bainsley
    David Thewlis
    David Thewlis
    • Joby
    Gwendoline Christie
    Gwendoline Christie
    • Woman in a Street Commercial
    Rupert Friend
    Rupert Friend
    • Man in Street Commercial
    Ray Cooper
    • Man in Street Commercial
    Lily Cole
    Lily Cole
    • Woman in Street Commercial
    Sanjeev Bhaskar
    Sanjeev Bhaskar
    • Doctor
    Peter Stormare
    Peter Stormare
    • Doctor
    Ben Whishaw
    Ben Whishaw
    • Doctor
    Matt Damon
    Matt Damon
    • Management
    Margarita Doyle
    • Mancom Computerised Lips
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Dr. Shrink-Rom
    Emil Hostina
    Emil Hostina
    • Slim Clone
    Pavlic Nemes
    • Chubs Clone
    Dana Rogoz
    Dana Rogoz
    • Pizza Girl
    Rudy Rosenfeld
    Rudy Rosenfeld
    • Old Homeless Man
    • (as Rudi Rosenfeld)
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Pat Rushin(screenplay)
      • Terry Gilliam(additional dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In order to select the locations, Terry Gilliam used Google Earth: "I'd got most of the locations sorted out by using Google Earth before I first went to Romania. This is how we do location scouting these days."
    • Goofs
      When Qohen is sitting at his computer naked, he is wearing flesh colored underwear.
    • Quotes

      Qohen Leth: Nothing adds up.

      Joby: No. You've got it backwards, Qohen. Everything adds up to nothing, that's the point.

      Qohen Leth: What's the point?

      Joby: Exactly. What's the point of anything?

    • Crazy credits
      In memory of the great Richard D. Zanuck who kept the ball rolling.
    • Connections
      Featured in Film '72: Episode dated 5 March 2014 (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Creep
      Written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood

      Performed by Karen Souza

    User reviews166

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Chaos encapsulated. Gilliam fans rejoice, he delivers some interesting and satisfying existentialism.
    I seem to have an accidental tradition of seeing new Terry Gilliam at film festivals. Four years ago, I saw The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the Munich Film Festival which had an intro and Q&A by Gilliam, my first time seeing one of my favourite directors in person. It was quite a treat. This time at the London Film Festival I didn't go to the screening he attended, but it goes for any film that you see at a festival that the excited atmosphere enhances the experience. Parnassus held up on DVD and I'm sure The Zero Theorem will too, securing my opinion that he can make at least one great film a decade (since the 70s). Personally, I'm a big fan of Gilliam's bizarre chaotic style, it never fails for me, and this is his best use of it since the wonderfully disorientating Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

    Although the outside world can seem more like Ron Howard's vision of The Grinch, as many have complained they didn't buy the retro-world Gilliam created here, I loved the immaculate production design and especially the visual effects for the scenes where our protagonist, Qohen, is trying to solve the theorem in video game-like scenes. This is probably his most on- the-nose existentialistic film yet given its direct and ambitious plot- line, but it's very cleverly and often emotionally done. It's like the incredibly profound reverend speech in Synecdoche, New York expanded to 2 hours about each of our individual purposes in life and how that search of meaning affects our lives. Both Zero and Synecdoche thrive off that irony and they're both brilliantly executed, Zero perhaps not having quite a punch in the gut effect.

    I loved Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds and quite liked him in Django Unchained, premature second Oscar be damned, but otherwise I'd only seen him in Carnage and I'm still not too confident what he can do in a non-Tarantino film. It wasn't until watching The Zero Theorem where I realised how I'd never seen him play such an emotional character, even if he is very reserved for the most part until a sexual awakening. Unfortunately, his performance feels inconsistent. Sometimes he absolutely nails poignant character-defining scenes and reaches heights of Basterds, albeit at the other end of the scale. Other times, he feels awkward, over- rehearsed and not in the moment. It's quite strange and rather frustrating because his good bits are so good.

    Perhaps it's mainly due to the writing as its mainly the attempts at slapstick that falter. The script has a running character quirk where he refers to himself as "we" or "us" as opposed to "me" or "I" and it's rather confusing as to what it means and puts an unnecessary barrier between us and Qohen when it could be incredibly easy for us to empathise with him. The side characters more than make up for his lopsided parts though. At first they can feel like one- dimensional gag characters, but slowly they develop in an intriguing and welcome way, especially Melanie Thierry and Lucas Hedges' characters. While many of the film's jokes don't really land, David Thewlis is one of the best comedic relief characters in a while and he undeniably has the best lines. Damon and Swinton make delightful appearances too.

    Along with its existentialism, it has a fascinating theme of sex in the 21st Century with the influence of internet. Thierry's character is a paid tease, 'you can look but you can't touch,' though she has a heart, a good one. But you still can't touch. It certainly hits a nerve for these 'more connected than ever yet more disconnected than ever' times. I would give anything to have the virtual paradise the film offers from Qohen's suit in the poster. The film attempts to have 1984-like themes of government surveillance which aren't as interesting but fortunately after Brazil, it feels like Gilliam's style rather than an NSA reference. Although the first act struggles in tone, it certainly builds to something very rewarding. The Zero Theorem won't be for everyone, but it at the very least offers an interesting answer to the big question, what is the meaning of my life?

    8/10
    helpful•118
    50
    • Sergeant_Tibbs
    • Oct 28, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 19, 2014 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Romania
      • France
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Fansite Site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Теорема Зеро
    • Filming locations
      • Bucharest, Romania
    • Production companies
      • Voltage Pictures
      • Asia & Europe Productions
      • Zanuck Independent
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $8,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $257,706
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $83,803
      • Sep 21, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,486,506
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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