--- title: "20,000 Days on Earth: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 22 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): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 22 reviews: 18 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Jamie Healy Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2ztpnc/20000-days-on-earth/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 5/5. 13 February 2014. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/20-000-days-on-earth) ## Evening Standard — Nick Roddick Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2014. 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 the review](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 Rating B+. 18 September 2014. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-nick-cave-docudrama-20000-days-on-earth-is-essential-for-fans-272134/) ## The AV Club — Jason Heller Rating B+. 16 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/20-000-days-on-earth-dredges-the-drama-and-depth-of-nic-1798181322) ## Empire — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/20000-days-earth-review/) ## Total Film — Kevin Harley Rating 4/5. 15 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/20-000-days-on-earth-review/) ## Variety — Rob Nelson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2014. Festival review. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-20000-days-on-earth-1201073757/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-20000-days-on-earth-review-20140926-column.html) ## Sight and Sound — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/20000-days-earth-review) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-20000-days-on-earth.html) ## Film Comment — Margaret Barton-Fumo Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review presents the film as going beyond a conventional rockumentary. It singles out that broader approach to Nick Cave as its strength. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-20000-days-on-earth/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/22/whats) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2014. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2014. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/20000-days-on-earth/5066592.article) ## Slant Magazine — John Semley Rating 2.5/4. 12 March 2014. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/20000-days-on-earth/) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 4/3/3. 18 September 2014. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/20000-days-on-earth) ## The Guardian — Luke Buckmaster Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 5 June 2014. Festival review. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2014. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/20000-days-on-earth-2014-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## HeyUGuys — Gary Green Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. 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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/20-000-days-on-earth-review/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15636-324871) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 74/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2014. The URL headline characterizes the film as essential for Nick Cave fans. The accessible page provides no specific praise or further verdict details. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-nick-cave-docudrama-20000-days-on-earth-is-essential-for-fans-20140918/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/20-000-days-on-earth.md