River (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

Table of Contents

Where to Watch River Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Videos River Photos River

88%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

An exploration of the timeless relationship between human civilization and Earth's rivers. Spanning six continents, this visual and musical tour-de-force is by turns celebratory, cautionary, and ultimately hopeful that we are beginning to understand rivers in all their complexity and fragility. Narrated by Oscar Nominee Willem Dafoe. With music by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Radiohead.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Where to Watch

River

Critics Reviews

View All (24) Critics Reviews

Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

River flows in the wake of other documentaries... intended to quietly terrify us.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 20, 2023

Full Review

Michael Hogan

Daily Telegraph (UK)

“Rivers run into the future and remember the past.” Oh hush, you frightful bore.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 25, 2022

Full Review

Ben Dowell

Times (UK)

You would be forgiven for feeling that this is a little pretentious at times, but there is also something hugely seductive about a transportive slow TV viewing experience...

Jul 25, 2022

Full Review

Michael Clark

Epoch Times

An actor with an instantly recognizable voice, Dafoe, recalling the late painter Bob Ross or a generic male NPR contributor, is not only saddled with spouting these silly bits of jumbled sophomoric drivel, he does so in a passionless monotone.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 12, 2023

Full Review

Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

The dazzling cinematography -- by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Ben Knight, Peter McBride and Renan Ozturk -- visits seemingly every corner of the world in seductive rhythmic progression.

Apr 21, 2023

Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Simple yet ambitious, this visually stirring documentary flows slowly but is worth soaking in.

Apr 21, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews

James F Some striking photography and a lot of ponderous scenes. An art film more than a documentary. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review D. H People absolutely have to watch this movie. Very enlightening. Kudos to Twitter for putting it on my radar. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/04/23 Full Review Alysha S You learn so much about rivers, including fascinating information. Also, some of the shots are stunning. A couple of shots of fish jumping out of rivers specifically come to mind. It's also tremendously effective at pointing out relationships between humans, civilizations, and rivers. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Jennifer Peedom Director Joseph Nizeti Director Willem Dafoe Narrator Jennifer Peedom Writer Joseph Nizeti Writer Robert Macfarlane Writer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home

Mountain 88% 64% Mountain Watchlist TRAILER for Mountain To the Moon 100% % To the Moon Watchlist My Childhood, My Country: 20 Years in Afghanistan 100% % My Childhood, My Country: 20 Years in Afghanistan Watchlist Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy 91% 77% Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy Watchlist TRAILER for Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy Rudy! A Documusical 20% % Rudy! A Documusical Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Videos

View All videos

River

River: Trailer 1

2:28

View more videos

Photos

View All River photos

River

View more photos

Synopsis An exploration of the timeless relationship between human civilization and Earth's rivers. Spanning six continents, this visual and musical tour-de-force is by turns celebratory, cautionary, and ultimately hopeful that we are beginning to understand rivers in all their complexity and fragility. Narrated by Oscar Nominee Willem Dafoe. With music by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Radiohead.

Director: Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti
Producer: Jo-Anne McGowan, Jennifer Peedom, John Smithson
Screenwriter: Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti, Robert Macfarlane
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Stranger Than Fiction Films, Arrow Pictures, Arrow Media
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 21, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 30, 2023
Runtime: 1h 15m