‎Gattaca (1997) directed by Andrew Niccol • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Gattaca

1997 Directed by Andrew Niccol

There is no gene for the human spirit.

Science fiction drama about a future society in the era of indefinite eugenics where humans are set on a life course depending on their DNA. The young Vincent Freeman is born with a condition that would prevent him from space travel, yet he is determined to infiltrate the GATTACA space program.

Ethan Hawke Jude Law Gore Vidal Uma Thurman Alan Arkin Xander Berkeley Jayne Brook William Lee Scott Loren Dean Ernest Borgnine Tony Shalhoub Una Damon

106 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Jędrek Kostecki ★★★★½

I have been in multi-year relationships with women who weren't half as good looking as this film.
Review by DirkH ★★★★ 1

It is the total and convincing immersion in a future world that makes this one of the strongest science fiction films I've ever seen.

That is a bold statement I know, but for me it is a fact, it just took me a while to realise it. See, the first time I saw it I was distracted by the meandering third act in which the plot drudgingly treads towards its excpected resolution.

And while that problem still exists I was struck this time by two things. For a film that is almost 15 years old it still looks absolutely stunning and it does what any film in this genre should do. It takes away all suspension of disbelief by presenting…
Review by Dragonknight ★★★½ 2

Film #73 of Project 90

”It's funny, you work so hard, you do everything you can to get away from a place, and when you finally get your chance to leave, you find a reason to stay.”

Andrew Niccol starts Gattaca by picturing a “not too distant future” where genetic engineering has changed everything, it has revolutionized the way people think and act and it has brought a new social order to the society, people are no longer divided to rich and poor or educated and uneducated, you are either a child of god or a child of science, genetic modification has become a routine part of the cycle of life and now everything works differently. That exceptionally alarming and…
Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★★★ 3

Dystopian future in which even straight white cis men can be discriminated against.
Review by Esteban Gonzalez ★★★½ 1

“I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body. You lent me your dream.”

In Andrew Niccol’s directorial debut we are invited to imagine a world where humans are categorized according to their genetic make-up. In this world, genetic engineering is not only a possibility, but a very common thing. Society now classifies people according to their DNA, and social classes are determined by it. It is not a future too hard to envision considering over history we have categorized people according to the color of their skin, their race, or their gender. Niccol creates an interesting sci-fi premise by using this sort of allegory of our society and combining it with some action and…
Review by Greg Davies ★★★★½ 2

This under appreciated gem is yet another overlooked masterpiece the 90's spewed out. The cinematography by Slawomir Idziak perfectly accompanies every shot in just the right way. Not surprising considering he was the cinematographer for two of the most beautiful films ever made, The Double Life of Veronique and Three Colors Blue. Writer, Director Andrew Nichols directorial debut will prove to be one of the best modern sci-fi classics in the past 20 years. Ethan Hawke and Uma Therman shine on screen and the idea of a future where gene manipulation is the conventional method of reproduction is kinda scary but very intriguing.

Recent reviews

Review by Josefine ★★★½

ethan hawke telling the audience that there is no racism bc "genes is the only thing that matters" in a film with 98.8% white characters who look so similar that the police weren't able to find a suspect even with a photo is one of the most unintentionally hilarious thing i've witnessed in 90s sci-fi
Review by Marianna Mr ★★★★★

Vincent: I don't know how to thank you.

Jerome: No, no. I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body. You lent me your dream.
Review by Encox ★★★★½

Good film that hinges on the idea that nobody can tell two white men apart
Review by brynn ★★★½

yknow with all the frequent urine tests you’d think that these ppl would drink some more water. smh neon yellow piss

extra half star bc it’s produced by my father danny devito
Review by Parker Bradley ★★★★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

I’m not sure how I’ve waited so long to see this film. Gattaca is set in a future that is all kinds of disturbing, where humans are prejudged based on characteristics and flaws you can’t see. The main character, Vincent, or Jerome (whichever you please) defies all the doctors and geneticists and odds that tell him he won’t be able to follow his dream, and he accomplishes it. It’s kind of a cheesy resolution, but seeing someone achieve everything they’ve ever wanted despite all of the obstacles in their way is really uplifting. Hard work can take you a long way, and of course a little luck doesn’t hurt.

Don’t let people tell you you can’t do anything.
Review by Jerry ★★★½

So touched by the human spirit in this film ...

"I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body. You lent me your dream."

"I never saved anything for the swim back!"

Although to me the relationship between Ethan and Uma did not portray very well, the whole idea of human possibilities in this story is told very well. The imagined Eugenics in the future is very convincing and might be going on in our society, which is also a reason why this movie is a good sci-fi drama.
Review by LetterY ★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Gattaca é um filme muito mais fácil de assistir do que de avaliar.

A premissa do filme é ótima: as leis de oferta e demanda, no futuro, traçarão um padrão humano que conjugado com as novas tecnologias de engenharia genética constituirão uma verdadeira eugenia liberal.

O curioso do filme, no entanto, é que apesar dele tratar esse sistema social futuro como um estado de profunda injustiça, ainda assim a resposta que ele fornece encontra-se alinhada aos pressupostos que dão base ao próprio objeto que critica. Isto é, em Gattaca, são as próprias leis de mercado desregulamentado aos moldes do liberalismo econômico que sustentam a possibilidade da formação de um padrão eugênico em clínicas geneticistas. Ao invés de atacar esse sistema…
Review by Buckaroo Brian ★★½

Ethan Hawke’s character says degenerate, but pronounces it de-GENE-erate and my eyes went fully into the back of my skull for a good portion of the movie.
Review by Dov Doviak ★½ 5

Gattaca is a film with a few interesting sci-fi ideas, but the way it goes about exploring them is so ham-fisted and one-dimensional that there's not much, if any, legitimately interesting observations about anything... The way it's packaged gives the illusion of profundity, but if you actually engage with the points being presented, it all just sort of blends into the same white noise their shamelessly obvious elementary-grade society occupies... It's sort of like Mr. Nobody-lite, which is probably why I went from indifferent to offended by Gattaca upon reflection... Even the gross poster screams Mr. Nobody...