---
title: "Megalopolis"
year: 2024
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/megalopolis"
fi1m_id: "megalopolis"
imdb_id: "tt10128846"
tmdb_id: 592831
wikidata_id: "Q115175910"
fi1m_score: 54
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:58.236710+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# Megalopolis (2024)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola · 2h 18m · MPA R · Science Fiction, Drama, Fantasy

## Identity

Megalopolis

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/megalopolis
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** megalopolis
- **IMDb ID:** tt10128846
- **TMDB ID:** 592831
- **Wikidata ID:** Q115175910
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10128846/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/592831, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115175910

**Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 58 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Adam Driver stops time on a ledge and the script never gets it going again

> Francis Ford Coppola has paid for his own dream and put all of it on screen at once. Some of it is handsome, some of it is Aubrey Plaza, and none of it says more than the tagline does.

## Synopsis

Francis Ford Coppola writes and directs a fable about a city and the man who wants to rebuild it. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an architect who wants to tear down a poor district and raise a city of the future on it. Mayor Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) runs the city as it stands and wants the people housed first. Between them stands the mayor’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who takes a job in Cesar Catilina’s office. Circling are Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), the banker Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight), and Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), who wants what everyone else has. Laurence Fishburne narrates as Cesar Catilina’s driver, Fundi Romaine. It runs 138 minutes and carries a 15.

## Review

Francis Ford Coppola is 85, and he wrote, directed and paid for *Megalopolis* himself, so nobody could tell him no, and the film looks like that. An architect, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), wants to knock down a poor district and raise a city of the future on it. The mayor, Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), runs the city he wants to rebuild and thinks people need somewhere to live in the meantime. It is a mess. It is a sincere mess, and we are glad he made it, but we cannot send you to it with a clear conscience.

Some of it is handsome. Milena Canonero dresses the rich in gold lamé and laurel wreaths, and puts Aubrey Plaza in gowns cut to make an entrance from any door. Beth Mickle and Bradley Rubin have built a city out of several centuries at once, and none of it looks cheap in the foreground. Mihai Malaimare Jr. shoots it at the yellow end of the day, splits the screen into threes, and lets statues move in the corners of the frame. The opening minute is the best minute in the film, and we will leave it for you.

Plaza is the other thing worth the ticket. Wow Platinum wants a rich man’s money and is not fussy about which rich man, and Plaza plays every line as though she has read the script, worked out what it is, and decided to enjoy herself. Nobody else has. Shia LaBeouf commits to Clodio Pulcher with a good deal of eyeliner and no shame, and we admired the nerve while wondering what film he thought he was in. Jon Voight, as the banker Hamilton Crassus III, looks mildly puzzled throughout, and Esposito gives the mayor a dignity the script keeps taking back.

The script is the trouble. Coppola has written a film in which people philosophise over dinner and deliver speeches, whole ones, in rooms where nobody has asked. Characters do not talk to each other; they announce positions. Nathalie Emmanuel’s Julia, the mayor’s daughter who goes to work for Cesar Catilina, is given nothing to do but gaze at him and be right about him, and she does what she can with that. A pop star called Vesta Sweetwater (Grace VanderWaal) is introduced with some ceremony and then mislaid.

Three editors are credited, Robert Schafer, Cam McLauchlin and Glen Scantlebury, and the film moves as though they never met. Scenes end a line early or a scene late. A party goes on until we have forgotten why we are at it. Osvaldo Golijov’s score swells at every skyline, and VanderWaal sings over the stretches where the plot should be. Some of the backgrounds look unfinished.

Here is what we felt. We laughed, several times, at lines not meant to be funny, and then felt a bit ashamed of ourselves, because the man behind it plainly means every word. We were not bored, quite; there is always something moving in the frame, a statue, a split screen, Plaza. But we sat up properly only for that opening, and we spent the rest of the 138 minutes waiting to sit up again.

Coppola has made great films out of chaos before. [*Apocalypse Now*](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now) (1979) came out of a shoot that nearly sank him, and it holds. *One from the Heart* (1982) built a city on a soundstage and went broke doing it, and it is lovely. This is closer to the second, without the songs that held it together. Both of those had a story he trusted more than the sets. This one does not.

See it in a cinema if you see it at all; at home it is smaller and sillier and the speeches take just as long. Bring patience and someone who will not mind you whispering. It carries a 15 and runs 138 minutes, and we felt every one of them.

*Fi1m score 54, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split almost evenly three ways, and the spread is about as wide as it gets: most critics agree that the film is a mess and disagree only on whether the mess is worth having. The praise clusters around Coppola’s ambition and around the plain fact that a self-funded film on this scale exists at all; several reviews also single out the opulent production and costume design, and Aubrey Plaza’s campy performance is named by more than one critic as the best thing in it.

The reservations cluster around the screenplay, which is called incoherent, talky and overstuffed, and around dialogue and performances that most find uneven. At one end, Deadline calls it a major achievement despite its faults; at the other, Time Out finds it pompous and joyless, and The Guardian dismisses it as an empty folly. Many critics reach for the same word, mess, and then argue about the adjective in front of it.

## Straight answers

**Is Megalopolis worth watching?**

*Megalopolis* is not a film we can recommend with a clear conscience, and we scored it 54. Francis Ford Coppola has put a whole dream on screen at once: the costumes and sets are handsome and Aubrey Plaza is worth the ticket, but the script is speeches rather than conversation. See it in a cinema if at all, with patience.

**How long is Megalopolis, and what is it rated?**

*Megalopolis* runs 2h 18m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a science fiction and drama film.

**Where can I watch Megalopolis in the US?**

*Megalopolis* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 24 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Megalopolis, and is it suitable for children?**

*Megalopolis* carries a 15 in the UK and an R in the US, so it is not for children. The certificate implies adult content, and the film's style is grown-up too: long philosophical speeches over dinner, a decadent rich set in gold lamé, and a plot that asks patience rather than nerve. Older teenagers may follow it; younger ones will be bored before they are troubled.

**How does Megalopolis compare to Metropolis?**

*Megalopolis* is Coppola's answer to Lang's [*Metropolis*](https://film.one/film/metropolis), and the earlier film is the better of the two by some distance. Both build a city of the future by hand and argue about who it is for; Lang's is tighter and more precise, even where its politics are too easy. Coppola's has more ideas and far less shape.

**What should I watch after Megalopolis?**

After *Megalopolis*, try [*Metropolis*](https://film.one/film/metropolis) (1927, Fi1m 87): Lang’s city of the future, built by hand, and the film Coppola is answering. Then [*Fellini Satyricon*](https://film.one/film/satyricon) (1969, Fi1m 65): Ancient Rome as a fever dream, and it knows it is one.

### Reviews we read (22)

- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/4/4): The critic praises the film's kaleidoscopic, enriching vision as a grand old master's work with nothing to lose, celebrating unfettered creativity. They single out its unique city symphony and expansion of reality for praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/megalopolis)
- **Radio Times**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic calls it a wildly ambitious if flawed look at power and avarice, praising fierce invention and moments of innovation like live interactive theatre while noting mixed performances. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (75/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as wildly ambitious, conceptually bold, frequently inscrutable, endlessly fascinating and frustrating, ultimately calling it a brash and bonkers $120 million fable about town planning that does not always hang together. They single out Coppola's audacity and drive at age 85 as the standout element. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/megalopolis/)
- **The AV Club**, Jason Gorber (B-): The review describes the film as a magical, meandering, maddening epic that is batshit crazy, pompous and campy while echoing divisive recent works. It praises the experimental process and the joy of its ensemble performances but notes it feels nonsensical and in need of more shaping. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/megalopolis-review-a-magical-meandering-maddening-ep-1851482518)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (70/100, inferred): The piece portrays the film as wildly divisive with genuine passages of beauty alongside storytelling failures, conceptual quirks and uneven performances, yet one that is too crazy and alive to dismiss. It singles out the intensely personal nature, raw sincerity mixed with goofiness, and the conversations it provokes about risk, art and the future. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-has-already-won.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (55/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as an ambitious but flawed passion project that is windy, overstuffed, baffling and overly talky, yet also amusing, playful, visually dazzling and filled with hope for humanity. It singles out the director's risk-taking flair and the sheer curiosity it inspires despite its narrative shortcomings. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-adam-driver-1235901211/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (55/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a bold but sloppy, garish and idea-bloated epic that is a deeply personal allegory on the director's relationship to art. He praises the ambition and late-career statement while noting it is unwieldy and does not fully work. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-1236005482/)
- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the eccentric epic best when silent and notes that creative autonomy proves a mixed blessing for the self-funded project. They single out the visual language and tonal extravagance for praise while complaining about stilted dialogue and uneven editing. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/e46e0037-e3aa-4c51-8916-dbc11d4f776d)
- **Total Film**, Anna Smith (50/100, inferred): The critic labels it an indulgent epic that's almost so bad it's good. They single out the sheer scale and personal vision on display at Cannes. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-movies/megalopolis-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (40/100, inferred): The critic says the grand vision fails to live up to its ambition, stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess, with cartoonish performances, though acknowledging echoes of past works. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/megalopolis-cannes-review/5193570.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (2/5): The critic calls the film an epic fail and a strident retro-futurist folly that is muddled and empty despite its visual ambition. They single out the incoherent screenplay and uneven performances for complaint while praising the opulent production and costume design. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/29/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppolas-epic-fail)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (35/100, inferred): The critic calls the result an unholy mess with delusions of grandeur that is unwieldy yet admirably ambitious, presenting only an anodyne statement on American society. They single out the striking compositions and sense of tinkering originality amid the messiness. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-3294904)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film pompous and fun-free, an indigestible self-serious epic that is little fun and deadening intellectually. They complain about its self-important vibe and lack of stylistic flair. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/megalopolis-review-2024)
- **Sight and Sound**: The critic describes the film as a bloated mess of philosophising and incomplete plotlines but finds it fascinatingly lovable due to its sincere ambition and Coppola's dedication. They single out the film's heroic datedness and quixotic overreach for praise. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/megalopolis-grand-grotesque-wonderful-folly)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (Critic’s Pick): The critic finds the film a bursting, hallucinatory personal statement on an epic scale, a great-man story about an architect driven by ideals. She singles out its entrancing, confounding images and ideas that invoke different epochs. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/26/movies/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola.html)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a mess but a stunning achievement and true modern masterwork of audacious vision. They single out its ability to never be boring and its reinvention of cinematic possibilities. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/05/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-1235919389/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7/10): The critic calls it a sprawling, confusing mess but a beautiful one that must be seen on the big screen, praising its earnestness and the miracle of its existence as a self-funded artistic vision. They complain about it being overwhelming and not fully earning its hopefulness but appreciate the act of creation it represents. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1667826/francis-ford-coppola-megalopolis-review/)
- **The Wrap** (60/100, inferred): The review describes it as grandiose and goofy with sprawling ambitions, some realized and many not, making little compromise. It singles out Aubrey Plaza's campy performance as the MVP highlight amid the film's frustrating yet ambitious execution. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-adam-driver-aubrey-plaza/)
- **Collider**, Chase Hutchinson (4/10): The critic views the film as a meandering, farcical mess that fails to deliver substance despite its big ideas and Coppola's passion project status. They single out Aubrey Plaza for having fun amid otherwise broad or ineffective performances and note the film's watchability but lack of depth or memorable swings. [Read](https://collider.com/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (2 out of 5): The critic finds it an unfinished, scattershot work with flashes of brilliance but ultimately uneven and uninvolving; praises Aubrey Plaza's performance and some visual moments. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-rages/)
- **Film Stories**, James Harvey: The critic describes the film as a bizarre, messy, and unapologetically artistic passion project that isn't playing it safe, praising its existence as a personal vision despite its flaws like naff CGI and lack of character development. They single out its human quality and audacity as the main points of praise. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/megalopolis-review-a-towering-steaming-pile-of-art/)
- **NME**, Lou Thomas (2): The film is weird, wacky, and needs editing; dialogue and acting are bizarre and uneven, visuals mixed; credits Coppola for self-funding and predicts cult status. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-3757777)

## Details

- **Director:** Francis Ford Coppola
- **Director:** Francis Ford Coppola
- **Writer:** Francis Ford Coppola
- **Cinematography:** Mihai Malaimare Jr.
- **Editor:** Glen Scantlebury, Cam McLauchlin, Robert Schafer
- **Music:** Osvaldo Golijov, Grace VanderWaal
- **Production design:** Beth Mickle, Bradley Rubin
- **Costume design:** Milena Canonero
- **Producer:** Fred Roos, Michael Bederman, Barry J. Hirsch
- **Cast:** Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina; Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Cicero; Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero; Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum; Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher; Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III; Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine; Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catilina
- **Runtime:** 2h 18m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 27 September 2024
- **Genres:** Science Fiction, Drama, Fantasy
- **Budget:** $120 million
- **Box office:** $14 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVZd5b--U6w

## Where to watch in the US

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

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, SE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Metropolis* (1927), Fi1m 87: Lang’s city of the future, built by hand, and the film Coppola is answering. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/metropolis.md)
- *The Fountainhead* (1949): Another architect who will not compromise, and a script just as sure of itself.
- *Fellini Satyricon* (1969), Fi1m 65: Ancient Rome as a fever dream, and it knows it is one. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/satyricon.md)
- *One from the Heart* (1982): Coppola’s earlier folly, a city on a soundstage, and the songs carry it.
- *Southland Tales* (2006): Richard Kelly’s sprawling, half-finished vision of America, for those who like a mess.

---
© 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/megalopolis