Cloud Atlas (2012)
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A sprawling, multi-layered narrative weaves together six interconnected stories spanning centuries, exploring the recurring connections between souls across time.
The story
The film presents a complex, non-linear narrative that jumps between six distinct eras spanning hundreds of years. From a 19th-century maritime voyage and a 1930s musical struggle to a 1970s conspiracy, a 2012 mystery, and two futuristic tales set in 2144 and 2321, the stories are linked by recurring characters and shared themes. As the plot unfolds, the audience discovers that communications and artifacts from earlier timelines appear in later ones, suggesting a profound, mystical connection between the souls of the characters across the centuries.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 172
- Production countries
- Germany; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lana Wachowski; Tom Tykwer; Lilly Wachowski
- Writers
- Lana Wachowski · writer; Tom Tykwer · writer; Lilly Wachowski · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hanks · Adam Ewing; Halle Berry · Luisa Rey; Jim Broadbent · Robert Frobisher; Hugo Weaving · Sachs; Jim Sturgess · Sachs; Doona Bae · Sonmi-451; Ben Whishaw · Sonmi-451; James D'Arcy · Autua; Zhou Xun · Sonmi-451; Keith David · Hae-Joo Chang; Susan Sarandon · Tilda; Hugh Grant · Denholme Cavendish
- Genres
- science fiction; fantasy
- Themes
- reincarnation; interconnectedness; humanity
- Tone and mood
- ambitious; epic; complex
- Setting
- Multiple locations across centuries, including 1849 Chatham Islands, 1936 and 1973 San Francisco, 2012 London, 2144 Neo Seoul, and 2321 post-apocalyptic Hawaii.
- Premise and plot tags
- multi-generational; non-linear narrative; time-travel-adjacent; dystopian
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2004 novel by David Mitchell
- Content notes
- nudity
- Reception
- The film received polarized reviews, appearing on both 'Best Film' and 'Worst Film' lists, and was noted for its ambitious scale and complex narrative.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 6.7 · scale: 10 · review count: 293; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 45
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Science Fiction Film · nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Editing · win; Saturn Awards · Best Make-up · win
- Production trivia
- One of the most expensive independent films ever produced.; The film was released in China with 39 minutes of cuts.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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