Ascension (2021)
89%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Ascension’s patiently observational approach pulls back the curtain on consumerism and economic inequality in modern China.
If you’re looking for a documentary that’s both informative and visually stunning, then Ascension is the film for you. Director Jessica Kingdon takes us on a journey through modern China, showcasing its transition from a factory-based economy to a consumer-driven society. The film is full of insights and revelations, and Kingdon’s static camera and long takes make for some surreal moments. Plus, Dan Deacon’s eerie score adds to the overall experience. Whether you’re familiar with China’s socioeconomic structure or not, Ascension is sure to be an eye-opening and thought-provoking watch.
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
Distributor
MTV Documentary Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):Mandarin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 8, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 15, 2021
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, China, consumerism, economic inequality, Chinese Dream, Jessica Kingdon, directed by Jessica Kingdon, produced by Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell, executive produced by David Dolby, Natasha Dolby, reviewed by Peter Debruge, Tim Robey, Danny Leigh, Cath Clarke, Michael O’Sullivan, Josh Kupecki, Josh Parham, Sean P Means, Tim Brayton, Phil Guie, Therese Lacson, Kelly Vance, genre, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, wealth, progress, modern China, observation, news, insights, revelations, westerners, dogmatic thesis, humanly interested, open-ended, documentary, surreal, static camera, long takes, Dan Deacon, score, mosaic portrait, socioeconomic structure, narration-less movie, featured audience reviews, MCU movies, horror movies, Netflix series, TV shows, streaming movies, theaters, subscription, rent/buy, Tomatometer, audience score, critic consensus, where to watch, runtime, distributor, cast and crew, original language, release date
Worldwide gross: $17,200
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $18,707
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,124
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,040
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jessica Kingdon – Producer
Kira Simon-Kennedy – Producer
Nathan Truesdell – Producer
David Dolby – Executive Producer
Natasha Dolby – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Jessica Kingdon
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (1)
No matter what your image of modern China, it’s nowhere near complete until you’ve seen it through New York-based, China-observing director Jessica Kingdon’s eyes.
March 28, 2022
Peter Debruge
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The film is full of news, insights and revelations without pushing a dogmatic thesis: it’s as open-ended and humanly interested as documentaries get.
January 13, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Crucially, the film never patronises. Is anyone learning anything westerners haven’t learned too, just less explicitly?
January 13, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Danny Leigh
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Slyly observes China’s transition from the world’s factory to a massive consumer society.
January 10, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Cath Clarke
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Covers the filmmaker’s intended ground, and more.
October 20, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Ascension often veers into the surreal, made more unnerving by Kingdon’s static camera and long takes, not to mention Dan Deacon’s quietly eerie score.
October 15, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Josh Kupecki
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The analysis is rich but more respected on an intellectual level instead of one that is genuinely moving, particularly as there isn’t a natural flow to the pacing here.
June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Josh Parham
Next Best Picture
An eye-popping mosaic portrait of a nation on the move, though unsure of what exactly its moving toward.
April 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Sean P. Means
The Movie Cricket
An extraordinarily confident feature-length debut.
March 31, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Brayton
Alternate Ending
Some of the most telling moments occur when those most under the states thumb nevertheless speak their mind.
February 27, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Phil Guie
Film-Forward.com
For those unfamiliar with the beast that is the Chinese socioeconomic structure, Ascension is sure to be a surprising look and perhaps a wake-up call. Those familiar might wish for a more pointed message at the end of it all.
February 13, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Therese Lacson
Nerdophiles
We could all learn a lot about how the world functions by watching this narration-less movie.
January 21, 2022
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express…
Plot
Ascension is a documentary that explores the pursuit of wealth and economic inequality in modern China through an impressionistic lens.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film Ascension, but they do mention that it is a “patiently observational approach” to exploring consumerism and economic inequality in modern China.
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