IMDb RATING
5.6/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free will itself.A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free will itself.A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free will itself.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
Jonathan Cousens
- Listener
- (as Jonathan Adam Cousens)
Buddy Daniels Friedman
- Suspicious Man
- (as Buddy Friedman)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This is an excellent film which tackles some very interesting moral questions in an understandable and entertaining way. It's rare to see such a strong narrative which holds your interest for the entire film. With surprisingly good production values and some great casting choices, this really is a 'Diamond in the Rough'. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, which deals with basic human freedoms and ethics - even though it can seem a little slow at the start. If you stick with this movie and give it a chance, you'll find yourself drawn into a world of secrets, espionage and brain-computer interfacing. If you enjoy films that pose interesting moral dilemmas and aren't just full of action, stunts and CGI effects, this title is one of the best I've seen in quite a while and I'd recommend it highly.
Film is decent. Strong points are interesting concept, good pacing, and strong acting. Weak points include pretty bad dialogue and some key unbelievable plot points, weird choices in aesthetic.
The movie is worth it, but its not perfect. Constantly struck by how weird everything looks in the like yellow-green tint. Added nothing to the movie. The dialogue is also pretty unimpressive. Not a memorable or striking exchange in the movie because of the awkward word choice. However this is all made passable by the strong concept and moral questions that are brought into the scope of the film. It touches on the concept of sacrifice and freedom as we brave a new age where technology entangles with the human brain. A lot to take away as any good scifi should.
The movie is worth it, but its not perfect. Constantly struck by how weird everything looks in the like yellow-green tint. Added nothing to the movie. The dialogue is also pretty unimpressive. Not a memorable or striking exchange in the movie because of the awkward word choice. However this is all made passable by the strong concept and moral questions that are brought into the scope of the film. It touches on the concept of sacrifice and freedom as we brave a new age where technology entangles with the human brain. A lot to take away as any good scifi should.
I think 4 out of 10 stars for this movie is generous but I'll admit it has a really fascinating concept. That was why I chose to watch it, was the premise. It just didn't deliver.
At no point are the three lead actors convincing in their roles. They are poorly written and don't even make sense. I never believed that any of these grad students could be remotely capable of the advanced science they were supposed to be doing. And the characters are not likable. I was never rooting for them to succeed in any manner.
Not to mention that this "sci-fi" movie was predictable and filled with every cliché and trope in the book.
It's not even worth this many words.
At no point are the three lead actors convincing in their roles. They are poorly written and don't even make sense. I never believed that any of these grad students could be remotely capable of the advanced science they were supposed to be doing. And the characters are not likable. I was never rooting for them to succeed in any manner.
Not to mention that this "sci-fi" movie was predictable and filled with every cliché and trope in the book.
It's not even worth this many words.
The movie reminds me a lot of Primer, but Listening tries to take it up one more level. While the concept in Primer seems mostly talk, this movie movies around with you a lot more.
A group of broke college students sacrifice everything for their experiment to harness the power of the mind. In a lot of ways the story works like the social network. Two kids who come up with a great idea, and everything is cool until they figure out they changed the world, and in that moment they change (Although the movie attempts to put morals behind the change) The philosophy of the movie is pretty cool, but at times feels like it's going all over the place which makes the movie seem longer than it really is. I actually love very low budget Hard Sci-Fi films like this one that fully draw the fiction from actual fact, but there are moments where the movie bites off more than it can chew, Ironically, not with the Science part, but with the social commentary about young genius who create something they loose control of.
I did love the story and the characters in the story, no matter what, everyone was likable and you want to root for them throughout, but I would wait to stream this online one a day when you have nothing better to do.
A group of broke college students sacrifice everything for their experiment to harness the power of the mind. In a lot of ways the story works like the social network. Two kids who come up with a great idea, and everything is cool until they figure out they changed the world, and in that moment they change (Although the movie attempts to put morals behind the change) The philosophy of the movie is pretty cool, but at times feels like it's going all over the place which makes the movie seem longer than it really is. I actually love very low budget Hard Sci-Fi films like this one that fully draw the fiction from actual fact, but there are moments where the movie bites off more than it can chew, Ironically, not with the Science part, but with the social commentary about young genius who create something they loose control of.
I did love the story and the characters in the story, no matter what, everyone was likable and you want to root for them throughout, but I would wait to stream this online one a day when you have nothing better to do.
This director's debut film exceeded my expectations. LISTENING is a suspense-filled sci-fi film that's fast-paced, entertaining and did live up to its award-winning status! It never had down-time and kept entertaining right up till the end. The story-line had multiple levels with lots of twists, turns and intrigue. The moral implications of the movie's subject matter technology (mind reading) makes for a very interesting premise too. The acting was great and several hit it out of the ball park. You'll find yourself routing for the actors as their struggle unfolds, and the actress who turns out to be the home-wrecker is an attractive addition to the cast. One of the main actors (David) did a good job, but had a couple of scenes that I wished were redone to make him more believable, but I'm splitting hairs, he did a great job over-all. The cinematography was very good, interesting and intriguing. The use of lens flares at times made you feel like you were seeing the film through ones own eyes, live! Very well done! I expect more great things from this young director, and look forward to his future efforts. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes a good suspense-filled flick, and very thought-provoking in its delivery. See the movie, you'll be happy you did!
Did you know
- TriviaParts of the Buddhist monk scenes were shot on location at Ankor Watt Temple in Cambodia.
- GoofsWhile sitting on the porch, Jordan's legs go from crossed to uncrossed and then back again.
- SoundtracksGet That Money
Written by Peter Smith
Performed by Peter Pastel and The Break Neck Crew
Courtesy of Break Yo' Self Records
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Brainstorm
- Filming locations
- Cambodia(on location)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 38m(98 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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