The Man From Earth Movie Review (2007)

One of the best films ever made for sparking discussion about history and science, The Man From Earth, about a professor claiming to be a non-aging cro-magnon, will have you buzzing with information.

When I first watched this film, about three years ago, I had never heard of it before. I knew nothing about it and only learned the name because an article that I was reading mentioned it. Since then, it is one of the movies that I recommend to everyone, and will discuss at length if you let me.

The Man From Earth is about John, a man who is leaving his teaching position and moving on this day, but is also hosting some of his professor friends at his house to say goodbye before he drives away. On a whim, John decides to confess that he is a cro-mangnon who has lived for 14,000 years, interacting with various historical figures and leaving each of his situations every 10 years, before anyone notices that he doesn’t age.

This movie takes place primarily in one room in John’s house, with a few small scenes outside by his car. It is clearly a small budget film with a few poor visuals (particularly outside) and a few spoken lines that feel forced. All of that being said, I think it is also one of the most intellectually relevant films ever available to us.

The screenplay for this film was conceived in the 1960s by Jerome Bixby, but completed while he was on his deathbed in 1998, where he dictated to his son. It plays out like a stage play, as it takes place mostly in John’s living room, and was actually adapted into a play a few years after the movie’s release.

When John begins to tell his story, his professor friends – who specialize in art history, biology, psychology, anthropology, and archaeology – and the student in attendance do not believe him. It is a wild story from a man whom they’ve known well for 10 years.

But John has an answer for everything, and a credible answer that makes you think. During one section it’s asked, why don’t you remember where you are from? He responds, “Your mother, she took you to the market when you were younger. Where was it? And if you went back there today, would it be the same?”

There is a build up of conversation about history and what was understood thousands of years ago, the shape of the earth, and how it is impossible to know everything or get ahead in spite of how long you live. Things continue to change and evolve. Discussions involving science, religion, and history – and how a single event can be experienced differently by everyone, and from there, incorrect information spreads, like the telephone game.

While all of the professors interrogate John in an intellectual way, the student is a bit of innocence. She sees the possibilities while all of the trained professionals have an inherent need to provide opposition, as open as they may try to be. It’s a fantastic ride that will challenge your beliefs and urge you to think through assumptions that you’ve always had.

I love this film. Not because of the budget or any visuals, but conceptually, there is no better movie available for sparking discussion. There is no other film that will have you sit and ponder the possibilities that we can’t answer about how history was created and what might be happening around us. This is one man, one perspective, living one single experience. And it’s fascinating.

Runtime: 87 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes, absolutely

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Available: Free on Prime Video and Tubi, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms