From a very different time, but must be seen for the exquisite design if nothing else.

A must see for any fan of sci-fi movies. Way, way ahead of its time with visual impact and whole dramatic presentation. Some of it drags a bit and some clues date the film, but I'm just nitpicking.

Sensational early sci-fi film. Imaginative production design. Excellent cinematography. I bet George Miller studied this film before producing his first Mad Max film.

I'm overwhelmed by the first 15-20 min seeing the endless bombings and catastrophic images, then being patient, majestic imagination came after. It's a very early take of Sci-fi dystopian in a pure Art Deco, and definitely ahead of its time. I find the visual, the technology, and the speeches dominate over the story by H.G.Wells.

Some interesting visuals and montages. But a mainly boring sci fi, with cheap looking fx, with dull characters. Should be alot more exciting given it goes all the way to 1970, and predicts WW2 and features zombie infected hordes.

For the time this is a very impressive and underrated science fiction film. It's a must see for sci fi fans.

Things to Come has become rather dated. Two things make it stand out and really worth watching. First, is the score by Arthur Bliss. Second, is the state of sci-fi special effects in the mid-1930's.

Back in an era when the majority of movies were either fluffy rom-coms or over-the-top musicals, Things to Come must have had quite the impact on audiences. Filled with gloomy prophesies, the film shows the future to be an oppressive dystopia filled with conflict and pestilence. While the movie has its merits, it tends to get bogged down in a repetitive cycle of conflict montages and talking heads, both accompanied by a blaring score that feels unnecessary. The effects are surprisingly decent and it's interesting to watch considering the time period it was produced, but it tends to be a bit dull at the best of times.

"Things to Come" balances visual effects with philosophy and intellectual ideas, a rarity in sci-fi films. Some visual effects are dated; others hold up quite well. Some future concepts (from 1936) are dated; others hold up quite well. "Things to Come" is an excellent time capsule of what we thought the future could be, and ought to be. Worth watching.

While it might have been a visionary film for its day, Things To Come is severely undermined by a plot that's rarely interesting and conversations that seem like they're never going to end. It feels like every single scene that was shot was included in the final cut, with no thought about how it would affect the pacing. It starts promisingly, showing a prosperous city being torn apart by war and how the lives of its citizens are affected. But the film eschews visual storytelling in favour of unnecessarily long scenes of droning exposition. The characters talk and talk and talk, and with the often-poor audio quality, a lot of it is hard to make out. Then there's The Boss. Far from being an intimidating villain, he's played annoyingly over the top, and does nothing but help ramp up the film's word count. It's ambition is admirable, but I found very little to enjoy about it, and felt a wave of relief wash over me when the credits started to roll.

Interesting as a step in the development of sci-fi film, particularly in its depiction of apocalyptic scenarios, but at its core a dated blockbuster that relies on visuals to wow in order to distract from faults in other areas. A perfect representative of the paradox of special effects in early film, with incumbent practical set design (considered the less creative, unoriginal component at the time) shining through while less convincing model work that initially stunned audiences showing its age more clearly. Not particularly well-acted, thematically coarse, and rather cheesy at times (with 'Everytown' being a major location throughout the film). The film is at its best with its depictions of what Wells considered to be a potentially reconstructed post-civilization society in the '30s; its crudely repaired buildings and warlords bearing cobbled-together uniforms are great pieces of retrofuturism, Mad Max if it were made four decades earlier. Once these elements are off-screen and the film enters its laughably idealistic 'future' phase, there isn't much left to see, just some guy talking about how there used to be indigestion and windows from his plastic throne. I want to give a shoutout to the future where people wear capes and shoulderpads but no pants, looking like rejects from the Ginyu Force. (2.5/5)

Considering this was made in 1936, the level of detail in the sets and futuristic imaginings were amazing. The film itself becomes problematic in its time span overreach, becoming more of a cinematic montage then cohesive story. And that's the problem one has in adapting a book to film. When young, I read a lot of HG Wells, but never got around to this book. It strikes me odd now that i was reading books that were nearly 50 years old, but they were still able to capture the reader's attention. Sign of a true artist. The acting is a bit melodramatic and dialogue preachy, actors often appearing to want to come up with the most profound lines ever. But overall the movie was enjoyable

The success of Things to Come resides in its spectacle. Elaborate bombing sequences, gigantic airplanes, and a towering futuristic city hold the viewers attention even as characters slip in and out. The movie serves as a prime example of the ability of film to present a potent story even without consistent characters, connecting the years and advancements that flash before us in relationship to the entire human race not just a few characters. That's not to say there aren't memorable characters and engaging performances most notably from Raymond Massey as the confident and visionary John Cabal, dressed in a slick black flight suit with a comically tall helmet, and Ralph Richardson as the selfish and narrow-minded Boss, especially when the two of them are facing off with H. G. Well's clever dialogue. Still much of the acting is overdramatic, in the case of Raymond Massey, again as Cabal's descendant, or not particularly memorable. This is more than made up for by stunning special effects, powerful imagery, and astoundingly accurate predictions of the future, including a Second World War, beginning with a sequence forsheadwisng the Blitz and a space gun featuring multiple sections that propel a small shuttle into space not unlike the rockets actually used to go to the moon. The overall arc of humanity's future as presented in the movie mirrors the fall of the Roman Empire with a subsequent dark age and eventual development into a society even more advanced than before. The characters' costumes are even reminiscent of Romans as they set their sights beyond Earth and move to conquer the rest of the universe. In regard to this quest to forge a greater new empire, Oswald Cabal (Massey), the society's leader, poses two conflicting views of humanity: the first as innovators, explorers, and conquers; the second as animals, relegated to live simply amongst ourselves on earth. The film is obviously in favor of the former.

For it's time and date this was an amazing adaption of HG Wells uncanny look at human behaviour.

1936 and just brilliant !!

The best movie score ever composed!

Amazing special effects for its time , massey is very good ,but much of the acting from the others isnt.

1001 movies to see before you die. Unbelievable that they predicted so many things back in the 30's. Despite the cheese, it was still entertaining.

didn't really enjoy this one but it was interesting to see what they perceived for the future at that time and how the world would be after the War

An H.G.Wells answer to metropolis.