--- title: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/cave-of-forgotten-dreams/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/cave-of-forgotten-dreams" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 21 reviews: 15 positive, 6 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are won over, and the praise gathers in one place: the paintings themselves and Herzog’s decision to film them in 3D. Review after review says the format earns its keep here, letting the animals follow the curve of the rock so their depth and texture register as they could not flat. Herzog’s narration and the odd questions he puts to his scientists are counted among the pleasures, and Variety singles out Ernst Reijseger’s music for its mood of awe. The reservations are about the man rather than the cave. Several find his metaphysical musings reach too far, and the more measured reviews call the film overlong and repetitive, the slow scans of the walls wearing thin. The Independent objects to a heartbeat laid over a moment of silence, and Slant finds the 3D often dark and unnatural. The spread runs from full marks to the mid-fifties, with no outright dismissals, and a recurring line even among admirers that this is not Herzog at his best. ## Time Out — Ben Walters Rating 5/5. 22 March 2011. The review text is unavailable, so its overall verdict cannot be established. The visible metadata offers no specific praise or criticism. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cave-of-forgotten-dreams) ## Empire — Adam Smith Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2011. Smith finds the documentary astonishing, mesmerizing and profoundly absorbing. He especially praises Herzog’s use of 3D to bring the cave paintings to life, while noting that his philosophical musings may turn off some viewers. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cave-forgotten-dreams-3d-review/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A-. 24 April 2026. Festival review. Kohn finds the film an extraordinary production feat, though he notes that one section briefly dulls its sense of wonder. He praises the immersive 3D presentation of the cave paintings and their mysterious beauty. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/werner-herzog-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-54344/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 April 2011. Turan gives the film an enthusiastic, deeply appreciative verdict, calling the chance to experience the cave a privilege and pleasure. He especially praises the ancient paintings’ beauty and the film’s effective use of 3-D to show how they follow the cave’s contours. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-apr-29-la-et-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-20110429-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 March 2011. Bradshaw calls the documentary a remarkable success, full of wonder and mystery. He especially praises how 3D brings the Chauvet cave’s ancient paintings to life. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/24/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. Festival review. Honeycutt finds the documentary fascinating and praises Herzog’s imaginative exploration of ancient art, spirituality and human nature. He particularly singles out the cave’s extraordinary art and the effective use of 3D to reveal its spaces and movement. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/cave-forgotten-dreams-film-review-30031/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 27 April 2011. Ebert gives the documentary a positive verdict, finding it a moving encounter with humanity’s distant past. He singles out the cave paintings and Herzog’s presentation of them as the film’s central wonder. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/humans-passed-this-way-long-ago) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 3.5/4. 24 April 2011. Schager finds the documentary a spiritually enriching meditation on art, time, and humanity’s relationship with nature. He praises Herzog’s evocative cave cinematography and narration, while noting that the 3D is often dark and unnatural. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/cave-of-forgotten-dreams/) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2010. Festival review. Chang finds the documentary a meditative, engaging art-history lesson, despite occasional digressions and awkward 3D. He especially praises the cave paintings’ vivid depth and Ernst Reijseger’s music for creating a mood of awe. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-1117943558/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B-. 29 April 2011. Tobias finds the documentary worthwhile but ultimately stifling and less freewheeling than Herzog’s best work. He praises the rare access to the cave art and Herzog’s peculiar, sometimes profound questions, while criticizing the repetitive wall scans and dirge-like score. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-1798168078) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2011. The critic finds the film engrossing and often evocative, though less visionary than Herzog’s best work. They praise its intimate 3D rendering of the cave paintings, while faulting an intrusive heartbeat and score that spoil a moment of silence. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-werner-herzog-93-mins-u-2254053.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2011. Lane finds the documentary exhilarating and often compelling, though Herzog sometimes reaches too eagerly for metaphysical interpretations. He especially praises the 3-D images of the cave’s layered, rippling animal paintings. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/02/in-the-dark-anthony-lane) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2011. The page text is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available content. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/movies/werner-herzogs-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-review.html) ## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2010. The page identifies this as a review, but the critic’s verdict is inaccessible. The article text is hidden, so no specific praise or complaint can be confirmed. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/cave-of-forgotten-dreams/5018251.article) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the documentary fascinating but overlong, with stretches that may lull viewers to sleep. They praise the vivid 3D images of the cave paintings and the engaging scientists Herzog interviews. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-will-send-some-to-sleep-7424133.html) ## The Skinny — Philip Concannon Rating ★★★★★. 9 March 2011. Festival review. The review praises Herzog’s distinctive approach and says the film’s 3D brings the ancient cave paintings vividly to life. It also singles out his evocative narration and eccentric group of guides as part of the film’s appeal. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny/gff-2011-cave-of-forgotten-dreams) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 February 2011. Festival review. Kermode highly recommends the film, though she notes it may not rank among Herzog’s greatest works. She praises how the 3D brings the Chauvet paintings’ depth and texture to life. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 18 March 2011. Lambie praises the documentary as fascinating and thought-provoking, arguing that it makes excellent use of 3D. He singles out the vivid sense of the cave’s depth and texture, which brings its ancient art to life. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-review-2/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 2011. The headline suggests a measured verdict, describing the film as neither forgettable nor especially dreamy. The blocked page provides no further detail about what the critic praised or faulted. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-werner-herzogs-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-is-neither-forgettable-nor-very-dreamy-20110426/) ## Collider — Bill Graham Rating C+. 29 April 2011. The critic finds the documentary worthwhile but overlong, repetitive, and unevenly paced. He praises the immersive 3D tour of the cave paintings as an exceptional use of the format. [Read the review](https://collider.com/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Dave Roper Rating 3/5. 20 October 2011. The critic finds the documentary fascinating and important, though repetitive in places and weakened by an unclear, self-indulgent coda. They praise the vividly filmed cave paintings and Herzog’s sense of wonder. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/cave-of-forgotten-dreams-blu-ray-review/) --- © 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/cave-of-forgotten-dreams.md