The reviews are divided on Koyaanisqatsi, but praise consistently centres on its images and Philip Glass’s score. Even some sceptical critics acknowledge the sensory force of the film’s landscapes and accelerated urban activity, while admirers find the combination hypnotic and immersive. Ron Fricke’s time-lapse cinematography draws particular praise for making the contrast between nature and technology compelling without a conventional narrative.
The disagreement concerns what those images have to say, with responses ranging from enthusiastic admiration to outright rejection. Several critics find the contrast between unspoilt nature and modern civilisation simplistic, or question whether Reggio is too fascinated by urban life to condemn it convincingly. Time Out takes the harshest position, finding the ecological message condescending and its reliance on technology hypocritical. Collider reads that tension more generously, seeing a film that recognises human ingenuity and beauty alongside the environmental costs of progress.