Pi

Pi (1998)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (50 reviews)

  • 85% of users liked it
    (100,493 ratings)

Darren Aronofsky scripted and made his directorial debut with this experimental feature with mathematical plot threads hinting at science-fictional elements. In NYC's Chinatown, recluse math genius Max (Sean Gullette) believes "everything can be understood in terms of numbers," and he looks for a… More

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In Theaters
Jul 10, 1998 Wide
On DVD
Jan 12, 1999
Artisan

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

    Aronofsky, who has parlayed this movie's Sundance success into two Hollywood deals, is that rare indie filmmaker who doesn't want to make hip romantic sitcoms. He's a genuine experimenter with a spooky visual style.

  • Dennis Harvey, Variety

    It's remarkable to what extent Aronofsky has rendered the cerebral kinetically intense. The film's imaginative, diverse images create a mind's-eye urban claustrophobia.

  • Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

    Audacious and bursting with ideas.

  • Laura Miller, Salon.com

    The movie's low-budget look neatly matches the claustrophobia of Max's life, but the filmmakers have also devised some special shooting methods for certain scenes. These sequences -- breathless and jangly chases, for the most part -- look terrific.

  • Stephen Holden, New York Times

    As smart as it is, 'Pi' is awfully hard to watch. Filmed with hand-held cameras in splotchy black-and-white and crudely edited, it has the style and attitude of a no-budget midnight movie.

Read all 21 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Rubia Carolina .


    <br/> "Pi" starts with an hyperactive song and opening intro (why it did remind me of <i>Run Lola Run</i>?). A disturbed mind, a math genius, the number Pi as the key to the universe. Drastic camera angles and contrast lighting; the chaos. I´ve always… More

  • Melvin W


    Maximillian Cohen: When I was a little kid, my mother told me not to stare into the sun, so when I was six I did...  "There will be no order, only chaos." Darren Aronofsky is easily one of the most interesting directors making movies right now. Pi was his debut, and an… More

  • Jameson W


    Good film!...

  • Cameron S


    Boggling. If you are able to understand all of 'Pi' you must be some kind of genius. Aronofsky's debut is an experimental foray into the mind of a genius and one that definetely leaves you feeling like you've gone as mental as the protaginist. Thiller codes and… More

  • paul o


    Its psycho mathematics! This film examines the aggressive and irrational side to the stock market along with crazy hallucinations! Aronofsky's first film makes a great debut!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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