---
title: "20,000 Days on Earth"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth"
fi1m_id: "20-000-days-on-earth"
imdb_id: "tt2920540"
tmdb_id: 246400
wikidata_id: "Q16829243"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-10-01T23:00:14.282119+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T23:00:21.783321+00:00"
region: "GR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)

Directed by Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard · 1h 37m · Documentary, Drama, Music

## Identity

20,000 Days on Earth

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** 20-000-days-on-earth
- **IMDb ID:** tt2920540
- **TMDB ID:** 246400
- **Wikidata ID:** Q16829243
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2920540/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/246400, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16829243

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 77 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* Nick Cave spends a day explaining himself, and we would happily have stayed longer for dinner

> Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard make an absorbing, often funny portrait of Nick Cave at work. Its carefully managed candour can be frustrating, but the songs and conversations make it rewarding even without prior devotion.

## Synopsis

Marking his 20,000th day alive, Nick Cave (as himself) moves through a partly staged day in Brighton. Notebooks and doodles supply material for songs, while conversations turn towards his memories and the way he works. Warren Ellis (as himself) and Blixa Bargeld (as himself) are among the people who share the portrait; a therapist and an archive offer other ways into his recollections. Nick Cave tries to describe how he turns ideas into music, while the public character he has constructed complicates the account. The day brings together the work of writing and the business of explaining himself.

## Review

Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s *20,000 Days on Earth* is an absorbing film about making songs, with a frustrating reluctance to press the man making them. Nick Cave shares the writing credit with the directors, and his involvement helps explain how carefully he is presented. The partly staged day gives his memories and thoughts a shape without pretending that the camera has caught him unprepared. He is funny enough, and the work interesting enough, to make the arrangement worthwhile.

Erik Wilson’s shadow-heavy photography makes the staged encounters feel like parts of the same imagined day. The shadows suit a subject who takes his public image seriously, and the camera helps maintain that image even in apparently intimate company. It is an effective choice, though the solemnity can make an ordinary conversation seem more momentous than it is. The therapist and archive sequences keep the attention on recollection, giving his accounts of himself a structure beyond a series of anecdotes.

Jonathan Amos’s editing gives that day a clear rhythm, with the cross-cutting in the performance material providing a welcome increase in energy. Across 97 minutes, conversation and music have room to develop without the film feeling obliged to deliver a complete life story. The notebooks and doodles are especially useful. Seeing those scraps become songs turns a vague subject into a process we can begin to follow.

We felt unexpectedly fond of Nick Cave during his dinner conversation with Warren Ellis. The pleasure of talking to someone familiar makes his seriousness easier to live with, and the exchange has an ease that the formal framework does not quite allow elsewhere. Warren Ellis gives him someone to respond to, which is a relief after so much explanation. There is warmth in that familiarity, and it helps the film accommodate the more self-important stretches.

The music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis gives all this discussion a purpose: we hear what the thinking and scribbling are for. The live performances have an urgency that justifies spending so long with the person who makes the songs. They also allow feeling into a film whose subject can be rather busy describing it. The attention to both unfinished work and performance means we can make our own judgements about how much the explanations tell us.

The limitation is the lack of pressure on the account we are given. The therapy framework suggests that uncomfortable questions might follow, but mostly supplies another occasion for the subject to speak on his own terms. His eloquence occasionally seems to satisfy the directors before it has satisfied us. Their willingness to let him control the conversation leaves some of the promised intimacy out of reach, however handsomely the encounters are filmed.

By music-documentary standards, the willingness to stage encounters is refreshing. It gives the directors a way to organise talk about memory and writing without turning every thought into a biographical lesson. Familiarity with the songs will help, but curiosity about writing and performance should be enough. We recommend making time for the company, with no expectation of a searching interrogation.

*Fi1m score 80, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome 20,000 Days on Earth as an inventive, engaging portrait of Nick Cave, with praise clustering around its blend of staged encounters and documentary observation. The life-in-a-day structure, witty voiceover and glimpses of songs taking shape give the reviews plenty to admire beyond the performances. Critics also single out the cinematography, editing and sound, while several find that Cave’s humour and conversations with fellow artists make the carefully cultivated persona more approachable.

Reservations centre on self-indulgence and how much the film actually reveals. The responses range from enthusiastic to mixed, with none outright negative, but critics differ over its appeal beyond Cave’s following. Slant Magazine regards it as a meticulous but fans-only construction; IndieWire sees potential inspiration for anyone interested in creativity, while conceding that it barely explores his psyche. For some, the managed self-image is fascinating; for others, it limits the intimacy.

## Straight answers

**Is 20,000 Days on Earth worth watching?**

*20,000 Days on Earth* is worth watching for its funny, absorbing account of Nick Cave making songs, and we score it 80. We find his carefully managed candour frustrating, but the conversations and performances reward curiosity about writing and music without requiring prior devotion to Cave.

**How long is 20,000 Days on Earth, and what is it rated?**

*20,000 Days on Earth* runs 1h 37m. It is a documentary and drama film.

**Where can I watch 20,000 Days on Earth in Greece?**

*20,000 Days on Earth* is not on any streaming or rental service in Greece at the moment. It is available in 13 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is 20,000 Days on Earth, and is it suitable for children?**

*20,000 Days on Earth* has a UK 15 certificate, making it unsuitable for children under 15. We describe a film centred on conversations, memories and musical performances, but cannot give a specific warning about violence or frightening material; the certificate remains the clearest guide to age suitability.

### Reviews we read (22)

- **Radio Times**, Jamie Healy (5/5): The review is strongly positive about the documentary’s portrait of Nick Cave. It praises the filmmakers’ bravura style and the insight offered by Cave’s day in Brighton. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2ztpnc/20000-days-on-earth/)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (5/5): The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. The visible excerpt introduces Nick Cave marking his 20,000th day on Earth but does not reveal a specific point of praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/20-000-days-on-earth)
- **Evening Standard**, Nick Roddick (85/100, inferred): Roddick finds the documentary enthralling, provocative and surprisingly moving. He praises its exploration of Cave’s creative process and the transformation of his notebooks and doodles into songs. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/20-000-days-on-earth-nick-cave-is-captured-in-all-his-mercurial-brilliance-in-this-music-documentary-film-review-9123217.html)
- **IndieWire**, Cory Everett (B+): Everett finds the film essential for Nick Cave fans and potentially inspiring to anyone interested in creativity. He praises its live performances and inventive, candid approach, while noting that it only skims the surface of Cave’s psyche. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-nick-cave-docudrama-20000-days-on-earth-is-essential-for-fans-272134/)
- **The AV Club**, Jason Heller (B+): Heller finds the documentary atmospheric and compelling, despite occasional self-indulgence. He praises its shadowy, verité-style approach and the counterpoint between Cave’s mythmaking and moments that puncture the myth. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/20-000-days-on-earth-dredges-the-drama-and-depth-of-nic-1798181322)
- **Empire**, Guy Lodge (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a shimmering, playfully elusive and seductive portrait of Nick Cave. They praise its cinematic sensibility and elegant life-in-a-day structure. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/20000-days-earth-review/)
- **Total Film**, Kevin Harley (4/5): Harley praises the film as a rich, wry, artful portrait of Nick Cave. He singles out its semi-staged approach and Cave’s witty voiceover for making the portrait feel singular. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/20-000-days-on-earth-review/)
- **Variety**, Rob Nelson (80/100, inferred): Nelson finds the documentary an intense, innovative, and ultimately cathartic portrait of Nick Cave. He particularly praises its inventive therapist-and-archive structure and its sharply crafted cinematography, editing, and sound. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-20000-days-on-earth-1201073757/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (75/100, inferred): Turan calls the film an unusual, adventurous take on Nick Cave and the creative process. He particularly praises Cave’s charisma and the film’s revealing glimpses of how songs take shape. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-20000-days-on-earth-review-20140926-column.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Trevor Johnston (75/100, inferred): Johnston finds the film intelligent, artful and successful, though its promotional purpose and Cave’s self-regard may temper its achievement. He praises its exquisite craft and the intriguing uncertainty between reality and artifice. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/20000-days-earth-review)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (75/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film a creative, enthralling journey, despite Cave’s carefully managed rock-star persona. He especially praises the candid, fascinating conversations with the artists in Cave’s orbit. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-20000-days-on-earth.html)
- **Film Comment**, Margaret Barton-Fumo (70/100, inferred): The review presents the film as going beyond a conventional rockumentary. It singles out that broader approach to Nick Cave as its strength. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-20000-days-on-earth/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): Lane finds the film self-involved and its gothic gloom potentially overbearing, but ultimately compelling. He praises Cave’s habitual mischief, which brings warmth and life to the film. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/22/whats)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): The critic views the film as an engaging, thoughtful portrait of Nick Cave. He singles out its imaginative approach to exploring Cave’s creative life. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/movies/in-20000-days-on-earth-nick-cave-is-on-the-move.html)
- **Screen Daily**, David D'Arcy (65/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst frames Nick Cave’s filmmaking as an addition to his expressive range. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/20000-days-on-earth/5066592.article)
- **Slant Magazine**, John Semley (2.5/4): The critic finds the film a carefully constructed, fans-only portrait that works through its subject’s self-invention. He praises its considered, half-fictional approach and meticulous direction, including the cross-cutting in the concert scene. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/20000-days-on-earth/)
- **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (4/3/3): The critic finds the documentary enriching but self-indulgent, and not especially remarkable. He praises its intimate moments, particularly Cave’s dinner conversation with Warren Ellis, for revealing a more personal side of Cave. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/20000-days-on-earth)
- **The Guardian**, Luke Buckmaster (60/100, inferred): Buckmaster finds the film entertaining but not especially extraordinary. He praises its polished, brooding aesthetic and the way its celebrity cameos suit Cave’s mysterious persona. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/australia-culture-blog/2014/jun/05/20000-days-on-earth-review-nick-caves-brooding-rockumentary)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a supreme, buoyant portrait of Nick Cave. She praises how the filmmakers turn inner states into inhabitable rooms while blending staged and real material. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/20000-days-on-earth-2014-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **HeyUGuys**, Gary Green (90/100, inferred): Green gives the documentary a strongly positive verdict, praising its inventive approach to exploring Nick Cave’s life and creativity. He singles out its blurring of staged scenes and genuine-feeling moments as a particular strength. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/20-000-days-on-earth-review/)
- **NME** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film gripping and says it pulls off its ambitious portrait in style. They single out its deft blend of fact and fiction for revealing both Cave’s personality and the spark behind his art. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15636-324871)
- **The Playlist** (74/100, inferred): The URL headline characterizes the film as essential for Nick Cave fans. The accessible page provides no specific praise or further verdict details. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-nick-cave-docudrama-20000-days-on-earth-is-essential-for-fans-20140918/)

## Details

- **Director:** Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
- **Director:** Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
- **Writer:** Nick Cave, Jane Pollard, Iain Forsyth
- **Cinematography:** Erik Wilson
- **Editor:** Jonathan Amos
- **Music:** Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
- **Producer:** James Wilson, Dan Bowen
- **Cast:** Nick Cave as Self; Warren Ellis as Self; Blixa Bargeld as Self; Susie Bick as Self; Arthur Cave as Self; Earl Cave as Self; Kirk Lake as Archivist; Darian Leader as Self
- **Runtime:** 1h 37m
- **First release (the US):** 20 January 2014
- **Genres:** Documentary, Drama, Music
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DgvUSP3YHc

## Where to watch in Greece

Not streaming, renting or buying in Greece at the last check.

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, DE, DK, IT, NL, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Sundance World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary 2014: Sundance World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary (won)
- Sundance World Cinema Documentary Editing Award 2014: Sundance World Cinema Documentary Editing Award (won)

## If you liked this

- *Stop Making Sense* (1984): For the pleasure of watching musical thought become precise, physical performance.
- *The Beaches of Agnès* (2008): Another self-portrait that uses staged scenes to approach memory with warmth.
- *The Quince Tree Sun* (1992): Stay with the daily work of an artist, including the stubborn delays.
- *F for Fake* (1973): A more mischievous companion for anyone intrigued by artists managing their reputations.
- *Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda* (2017): A quieter study of musical creation, with close attention to listening.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth