Freakonomics (2010)

65% of critics liked it
(62 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(4,899 ratings)

FREAKONOMICS is the highly anticipated film version of the phenomenally bestselling book about incentives-based thinking by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Like the book, the film examines human behavior with provocative and sometimes hilarious case studies, bringing together a dream team of… More FREAKONOMICS is the highly anticipated film version of the phenomenally bestselling book about incentives-based thinking by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Like the book, the film examines human behavior with provocative and sometimes hilarious case studies, bringing together a dream team of filmmakers responsible for some of the most acclaimed and entertaining documentaries in recent years: Academy Award (R) winner Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Casino Jack and the United States of Money), Academy Award (R) nominees Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp), Academy Award (R) nominee Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight) and Seth Gordon (The King of Kong).-- (C) Magnolia

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Alex Gibney, Heidi Ewing
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Oct 1, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Jan 18, 2011
Studio: Magnolia Releasing

Critic Reviews

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
When this freakumentary hooks up with Urail King, it gets an A.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
The film is provocative but also scattershot and not nearly as conclusive as it pretends to be.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Some parts of the movie are more satisfying and intriguing than others, but there are enough surprising and non-intuitive revelations that even the most jaded viewer will likely learn a thing or two.
Mark Jenkins, NPR
The movie version of Freakonomics functions as a reasonably effective trailer, but for a book whose moment has already passed.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Amiably passes the time.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
[It] isn't freaky enough.
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
The limited time given to each of the short films means that there is little opportunity to get really down and dirty with the number-crunching, so that for every aspect that is fascinating there is an attendant frustration.
Jeffrey Chen, Window to the Movies
A lighthearted plea to the audience to try to think outside the box when it comes to matters of causality.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
A real hodgepodge of ideas and themes, directed by six different directors, it lacks cohesion. It does, however, have some interesting segments.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Moderately interesting documentary.
Robbie Collin, News of the World
Freasonable.
Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
Levitt and Dubner often talk about the importance of giving incentives to customers. It's not clear if this film gives quite enough of them to those people who've already bought the book.
Xan Brooks, Guardian [UK]
Merely proves that a batch of bite-sized featurettes does not automatically add up to a satisfying meal.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...an enjoyable, lightweight affair that plays like the pilot for a premium cable series - something like a less raucous version of the Penn & Teller's Showtime series
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
... somewhere between ... an illustrated, freshman-level lecture by a superstar professor and ... a brainy but popular television anthology show.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Freakonomics is, much like the book that spawned it, a breezy entertainment that leaves you with a lot to think about.
Kimberly Gadette, Indie Movies Online
On this take from a statistician whose days are, um, numbered: the docu-omnibus engages, as we wonder what the next filmmaker might do. Proving Levitt's theory that incentives do indeed matter.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
If you didn't read the book, you can get a less-satisfying version of it here, but you'd be better off hitting the book. And if you did read the book, the movie is superfluous.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
The film makes some potentially dull material come to life, but it's a tad pleased with itself for delivering that small gift.
Loey Lockerby, Kansas City Star
It's intellectual snack food, satisfying for a little while but always leaving you hungry for more.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Spencer S

Economics is a harsh subject to swallow, much like the greens your mother forced down your throat during childhood. Still, the case studies presented by a variety of Academy Award nominated directors and writers was at least entertaining and educational in the same as Sesame Street.… More
Economics is a harsh subject to swallow, much like the greens your mother forced down your throat during childhood. Still, the case studies presented by a variety of Academy Award nominated directors and writers was at least entertaining and educational in the same as Sesame Street. Society is asked the simple questions: Does a name matter when comparing economic standing? Can children be bribed to get good grades? Is sumo wrestling a fixed competitive sport? The voice was definitely wry, with commentary by the authors of the book it's based upon; Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Interesting, but at times I felt like I was bungling through another high school econ. exam.
Thomas J

Interesting concepts discussed, but too much time was spent on the corruption of Sumo and the subtitles for that section were poorly done.
Reid V

This documentary is for people who have neglected to read the book. It features four chapters from the book which were picked up by different directors and expanded for the film. In terms of what Levitt and Dubner bring to the screen, the film is worth 5 stars in my book. All they ask… More
This documentary is for people who have neglected to read the book. It features four chapters from the book which were picked up by different directors and expanded for the film. In terms of what Levitt and Dubner bring to the screen, the film is worth 5 stars in my book. All they ask if for the people of the world to ask new questions about certain phenomenons in our world and they give it to the viewer in a tangible and intriguing way. However, we are not here to review their information, we are here to review the film. The first segment in the film is directed by Morgan Spurlock, whose likability eludes me. While he deserves credit for using his body as a laboratory for his film Supersize Me, I think this segment proves my point that he is better suited for making after school specials than major films. He especially looks amateur when Alex Gibney's section of the film comes on next. His segment is executed with the care that the subject requires and his visual storytelling is superior by leaps and bounds. While the last two segments are very interesting, they feel a bit premature. It seemed as though the producers had two strong segments and they put in the final two so they could fill 90 minutes. Again, the information is there and overall this piece came together fairly well. If only Gibney would have produced all of the segments and excised the underdeveloped segments, then this movie would have been a stunning achievement.
Gordon A

As a disciple of the freakonomics school of thought, I thoroughly enjoyed this refresher and hope it brings the message to a wider audience. All the directors add visual flair to bring the principles to life but the material sells itself. Incentives drive the world.
Luke B

Freakonomics is one of those films that tries to make a complex subject accessible to a mainstream audience. Here, there subject in question is economics, and how it is everywhere. Although trying to reach a wider audience in a fun way we can relate to is admirable, it can't… More
Freakonomics is one of those films that tries to make a complex subject accessible to a mainstream audience. Here, there subject in question is economics, and how it is everywhere. Although trying to reach a wider audience in a fun way we can relate to is admirable, it can't avoid a patronizing tone. Still, there are lots of interesting parts to this documentary. It's split into a number of sections, with each section helmed by a familiar documentary filmmaker. This allows for a number of fun and interesting style to be put on display. As we delve into the world of economics, this all feels like a few great bits in an overambitious whole. Each segment has a fascinating topic, and one that could be explored at full length. Corruption and murder in sumo wrestling, how our names affect our lives, and how abortion may have helped to reduce the crime rate. All great subjects that are handled with kid gloves. It has inspired me to look into further detail about some things, but I wonder if the ideas and thoughts provoked will last a long time.
Jeff T

Darn it, it seemed like such a great idea: take four of the top documentary filmmakers/filmmaking teams working today and let them each tackle one aspect of the concepts from FREAKONOMICS, and then have the whole thing be framed by the work of yet another great documentarian. But… More
Darn it, it seemed like such a great idea: take four of the top documentary filmmakers/filmmaking teams working today and let them each tackle one aspect of the concepts from FREAKONOMICS, and then have the whole thing be framed by the work of yet another great documentarian. But entertaining as the result is, the approach makes each of the mini-documentaries come of as very glossy segments on 20/20 or CBS Sunday Morning. Nothing wrong with that, but it does make this movie, that comes in at less than 90 minutes, seem overlong and unfortunately sometimes kind of tedious. It is also, I'm sad to report, overproduced. Actors, re-enactments, animation, every trick in the book, when really all you need is a camera watching people... A more simple approach might've made the (admittedly) fascinating ideas pack more punch. As it stands, they all pack significantly less.
Panta O

I will say... read the book first! This is not a bad viewing but at moments it's lacking a continuum... Yes, in Freakonomics Alex Gibney delivers visually appealing documentary looking deeper into the decaying Sumo wrestling and exposing violent truths about this ancient and… More
I will say... read the book first! This is not a bad viewing but at moments it's lacking a continuum... Yes, in Freakonomics Alex Gibney delivers visually appealing documentary looking deeper into the decaying Sumo wrestling and exposing violent truths about this ancient and revered sport... Morgan Spurlock offers interesting and revealing angle on the repercussions of baby names... Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing balance levity and candour with their eye-opening profile of underachieving kids incentivized to learn with cold hard cash... and finally, Eugene Jarecki investigates an unsettling theory to explain why crime rates dramatically dropped in the early '90s while Seth Gordon weaves the pieces together with brisk interludes... WITHOUT MANAGING TO PRODUCE A DOCUMENTARY AS A REAL SINGLE FILM! It was just a collection of short stories... somehow like 60 minutes! Good stories, though!
Christopher H

Great to actually see the guys that wrote the book and enjoyed the film for the most part, but in the end, you're better off just reading. On a good night, you could probably finish the book in just as much time as the movie and be that much wiser to each discussion.
Bill C

I'd probably never read the book so it was my only chance to listen to these theories. I went in thinking this was going to be a highly slanted bash-fest. It really isn't that, if anything it's overly non-committal. Impossible to escape the cultural lens it subjects are… More
I'd probably never read the book so it was my only chance to listen to these theories. I went in thinking this was going to be a highly slanted bash-fest. It really isn't that, if anything it's overly non-committal. Impossible to escape the cultural lens it subjects are liberal intellectual selection. It is filled with 8ish short stories each about the same length. 3 are very memorable and the remainder make their point and keep going over the same ground. The one about sumo, got the point in the first 5 minutes and then they keep rehashing.... Whether conservative or Liberal personal philosophies will find this entertaining food for thought.
Sarah P

I liked the book much better. I felt like some of the segments in the film were only a minute or so (way too short!) and others, (like about cheating in sumo) were way too long and drawn out. Read the book - skip the movie.
Jason R

This is a very humorous and thought provoking documentary, with a very unique style all its own. However there is no real clear message to the film, it is just several short documentaries combined into one film. All with the purpose of trying to get people to look at their world a… More
This is a very humorous and thought provoking documentary, with a very unique style all its own. However there is no real clear message to the film, it is just several short documentaries combined into one film. All with the purpose of trying to get people to look at their world a little differently. In some aspects it does just that, and effectively so. But even though it is fun to watch, you really get nothing from it, other than realizing that world is a little more screwed up than you thought. This particular collection of studies and stories works better as a book, or at the very least would make a great show. But as a movie it just leaves you wanting a bit more, and this is just one subject that cannot be confined to an hour and a half runtime.
Wu C

Kinda boring actually. Spurlock had the best segment IMO.