Under the Sun

2015·Movie
1h 50min
74
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.4Metacritic816.6Rotten Tomatoes74%78%

Where to watch

KanopyHooplaMUBIOVIDPlexTubi TV

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

Under the Sun fingerprint

Strong craft, light on feelings.

Energy

Calm and low-key

  • Tension6
  • Fast Pace4
  • Spectacle4

Heart

Emotionally reserved

  • Melancholy6
  • Pathos5
  • Catharsis4

Humor

Some satire and dark humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Satire & Parody7
  • Dark Humor6
  • Absurdist Humor5

World

Society, politics, and everyday modern life

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion8
  • Ambiguity7
  • Novelty7

Craft

Solid, not remarkable

Layered plot that rewards full attention.

  • Complexity8
  • Direction7
  • Acting7

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Visual Stylization7
  • Editing6

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You want to half-watch while scrolling

Find more like it

Atmospheric moviesEducational movies

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

Over the course of one year, this film follows the life of an ordinary Pyongyang family whose daughter was chosen to take part in Day of the Shining Star (Kim Jong-il's birthday) celebration. While North Korean government wanted a propaganda film, the director kept on filming between the scripted scenes. The ritualized explosions of color and joy contrast sharply with pale everyday reality, which is not particularly terrible, but rather quite surreal.
North Korea DocumentaryPropaganda CritiqueOrwellian RealitySurreal DystopiaSocial EngineeringCult of PersonalityEveryday Life Under TotalitarianismPolitical Commentary

Crew

Directed by:
Vitaly Mansky
Written by:
Vitaly Mansky, Vitaly Mansky
Produced by:
Vít Klusák, Natalia Manskaya, Filip Remunda
Composed by:
Anrijs Krenbergs, Kārlis Auzāns, Evgeniya Lachina

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Loading video…

Questions about Under the Sun

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Under the Sun legally?

KanopyHooplaMUBIOVIDPlexTubi TV

Under the Sun is included with a subscription to MUBI and OVID in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Plex. You can also rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is Under the Sun worth watching?

74
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly. It's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 75/100 (IMDb 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes 74%, and Metacritic 81). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

How long is Under the Sun?

1 h 50 min

Under the Sun runs 1 h 50 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on Under the Sun?

Critics78
Audiences73

Yes. Critics average 78 and audiences 73 out of 100, so both groups see Under the Sun much the same way.

What language is Under the Sun in?

GermanKoreanRussian

It was made in German, with some Korean, Russian. Produced in Czechia, Germany, Latvia, Russia.

In how many countries can I watch Under the Sun?

9ATCACHCZDEJPKRSKUS

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for Under the Sun in 9 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does Under the Sun use?

Call-ForwardBlade-of-Grass CutTranslation with an AgendaGratuitous EnglishVoiceover LetterBathtub SceneThe RevealGossipy HensNever Learned to ReadLeg FocusThe Big Damn KissPop-Cultural Osmosis Failureand 6 more

TV Tropes lists 18 storytelling tropes for Under the Sun, including Call-Forward, Blade-of-Grass Cut, Translation with an Agenda.

HomeDiscoverMoviesShows