In the Realms of the Unreal - The Mystery of Henry Darger (2003)

70% of critics liked it
(61 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(3,335 ratings)

Award-winning short filmmaker Jessica Yu makes her feature-length debut with In the Realms of the Unreal, a documentary about outsider artist Henry Darger. Born in 1892, Darger lived in Chicago and worked as a janitor for most of his life. When he died in 1972, his landlord found his life's work:… More Award-winning short filmmaker Jessica Yu makes her feature-length debut with In the Realms of the Unreal, a documentary about outsider artist Henry Darger. Born in 1892, Darger lived in Chicago and worked as a janitor for most of his life. When he died in 1972, his landlord found his life's work: The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion (often simply referred to as The Realms). A massive, multiple-volume fantasy novel, The Realms also contains nearly 300 illustrations of collages, drawings, and paintings. Rather than interview art scholars and psychologists, Yu chooses to look at Darger's work from the viewpoints of those who knew him. Yu also incorporates animation segments into the documentary, using Darger's original images. In the Realms of the Unreal was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the documentary competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Jessica Yu
Written By: Jessica Yu
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Jan 21, 2005 Limited
On DVD: Jun 21, 2005
Studio: Wellspring Media

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A stylistic triumph and a sad but also romantic depiction of an artist in his purest state.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
The best thing about In the Realms of the Unreal are the sequences in which Darger's drawings, of epic battles and pigtailed heroines, are gently animated -- the pictures brought to life with subtle, fluttering motion.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
It is an engrossing introduction to the artist and his work.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Yu's decision to bypass the literature about Darger is unfortunate, because it contains so many fascinating details about his source materials, methods, creative problems, and aesthetic development.
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
Henry Darger's mind may have been a tough place to live, but In the Realms of the Unreal makes for a stirring visit.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
This is a film every bit as poetic, textured and intriguing as Darger's own rapturous visions.
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
could've been riveting stuff if only its subject was half as interesting as its approach
Robert Davis, Paste Magazine
The camera is too eager to swim in the artist's sea, but it might've revealed more if it had paused to let our imaginations provide the movement, as Darger's presumably did.
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
It was Yu's mistaken belief that experts would detract from her intimate approach that gives the film its tenuity, the lingering sense that far too little has been explored.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
Fascinating, if flawed.
Steve Schneider, Orlando Weekly
Instead of stooping to armchair psychology, this marvelous movie trusts its fascinating subject matter to spin its own web of mystery and melancholia.
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Alternately enlightening and frustrating.
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Suggests only that Darger's inner life was rich but came out in simple and unfocused art. . . . What Darger needs isn't fan fiction, but insightful analysis and criticism.
Lance Goldenberg, Weekly Planet (Tampa, FL)
...a fascinating sort of connect-the-dots that allows us to essentially piece together our very own personalized portrait of this most curious of artists.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

A story so bizarre that you'd consider it wildly creative fiction were it not completely true. Jessica Yu documents the incredible secret life of Henry Darger, a janitor who's imaginative works of art and literature were discovered after his death in 1973. Fascinating… More
A story so bizarre that you'd consider it wildly creative fiction were it not completely true. Jessica Yu documents the incredible secret life of Henry Darger, a janitor who's imaginative works of art and literature were discovered after his death in 1973. Fascinating stuff!
Mark A

Henry Darger was a reclusive retired janitor who lived quietly in Chicago. Upon his death, his landlady discovered a side to him that no one suspected. He wrote several journals, detailing his life story, and a novel that takes up 15,000 pages, describing a surreal battle between good… More
Henry Darger was a reclusive retired janitor who lived quietly in Chicago. Upon his death, his landlady discovered a side to him that no one suspected. He wrote several journals, detailing his life story, and a novel that takes up 15,000 pages, describing a surreal battle between good and evil, led by seven mythical sisters. He also painted several large murals, illustrating his tale. Strange fellow, indeed. This documentary tries to convey some of the grandeur of his life's work. A little dry for this viewer's taste, and the sheer volume of the work makes it difficult to assess the artistic value. Some of the images are quite bizarre, indicating an unfamiliarity with female anatomy. A mildly interesting look at the work of one who epitomizes outsider art.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"In the Realms of the Unreal" is a documentary about Henry Darger, a retired janitor and loner in Chicago. When he died at the age of 81 in 1973, about 15,000 pages that he had written in journals and a novel were discovered. Darger also created a… More
[font=Century Gothic]"In the Realms of the Unreal" is a documentary about Henry Darger, a retired janitor and loner in Chicago. When he died at the age of 81 in 1973, about 15,000 pages that he had written in journals and a novel were discovered. Darger also created a good amount of artwork to accompany his novel about an almost endless war with a group of girls caught in the middle. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The documentary contains interviews with those closest to Darger who try to give some sort of insight into his inner life. It also has animated certain parts of his art in trying to illustrate events from Darger's life and the narrative of his novel. My own amateur opinion is that Darger suffered from arrested development. He was robbed of his own childhood when he spent seven years in an asylum and thus, as an adult, sought to recreate a fantasy childhood in its stead.[/font]
Henrik S

As much as I can see the point of directing a movie about Darger in line wit his very unique and inapproachable style of writing and painting, I would have prefered a much more professional and in-depth analyzation of his life and work. While this documentary may be quite appealing… More
As much as I can see the point of directing a movie about Darger in line wit his very unique and inapproachable style of writing and painting, I would have prefered a much more professional and in-depth analyzation of his life and work. While this documentary may be quite appealing visually and in terms of editing it is more of a long flickering snapshot of Darger's strange wanderings, but no profound portrait of his life.
Christopher B

Interesting doc that looks into Henry Darger's amazing artwork. After it was done I thought I would have like to learn more about him and his art, but it works as a film to peak your interest.