Back to trending
Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Documentary · 2010

Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting.

Movie details

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

“Humanity's Lost Masterpiece... in 3D”

2010 Documentary 1h 30m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.4 / 10

18.8K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

96 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

86 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Cave of Forgotten Dreams?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee

Documentary · 2023

Celebrate the legacy of Stan Lee as the co-creator of such legendary characters as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, and hundreds more.

Unknown: Cave of Bones

Unknown: Cave of Bones

Documentary · 2023

Scientists examine underground clues from over 250,000 years ago that raise questions about our early relatives — and what it truly means to be human.

Fantastic Fungi

Fantastic Fungi

Documentary · 2019

A vivid journey into the mysterious subterranean world of mycelium and its fruit— the mushroom. A story that begins 3.5 billion years ago, fungi makes the soil that supports life, connecting vast systems of roots from plants and trees all over the planet, like an underground Internet. Through the eyes of renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, professor of forest ecology Suzanne Simard, best selling author Michael Pollan, food naturalist Eugenia Bone and others, we experience the power, beauty and complexity of the fungi kingdom.

180° South

180° South

Documentary · 2010

The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.

Into the Inferno

Into the Inferno

Documentary · 2016

With stunning views of eruptions and lava flows, Werner Herzog captures the raw power of volcanoes and their ties to indigenous spiritual practices.

Tim's Vermeer

Tim's Vermeer

Documentary · 2013

Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in all art: How did Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer manage to paint so photo-realistically 150 years before the invention of photography? Spanning a decade, Jenison's adventure takes him to Holland, on a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artista David Hockney, and eventually even to Buckingham Palace. The epic research project Jenison embarques on is as extraordinary as what he discovers.

Marvel: 75 Years, from Pulp to Pop!

Marvel: 75 Years, from Pulp to Pop!

Documentary · 2014

In celebration of the publisher's 75th anniversary, the hour-long special will take a detailed look at the company's journey from fledgling comics publisher to multi-media juggernaut. Hosted by Emily VanCamp (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter), the documentary-style feature will include interviews with comic book icons, pop culture authorities, and Hollywood stars. The special also promises an "extraordinary peek into Marvel's future!" Might Marvel release the first official footage from next year's Avengers: Age of Ultron or Ant-Man? If they do, you'll know about it here.

Encounters at the End of the World

Encounters at the End of the World

Documentary · 2007

Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica, where he finds a desolate, beautiful landscape, largely untouched by human hands, and a group of truly unique people who risk their lives to study it. Centered at McMurdo Station, the United States' largest Antarctic research center, Herzog explores the minds of the scientists willing to abandon civilization and endure volatile conditions to learn more about the continent's wildlife and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

Documentary · 2021

David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.

Fire of Love

Fire of Love

Documentary · 2022

A doomed love triangle between intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, and their beloved volcanoes.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Werner Herzog

Written by

Werner Herzog · Judith Thurman

Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog

Narrator (voice)

Dominique Baffier

Dominique Baffier

Self

Jean Clottes

Jean Clottes

Self

Jean-Michel Geneste

Jean-Michel Geneste

Self

M

Michel Philippe

Self

G

Gilles Tosello

Self

C

Carole Fritz

Self

Court is in session

Put Cave of Forgotten Dreams on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.