Inspiring work of passionate filmmaking or bloated vanity project? Or perhaps something in-between? Released just over a year ago, Francis Ford Coppola’s MEGALOPOLIS caused much debate among people who love movies. Not available to stream and without a physical release in North America, one of the only ways to see Coppola’s long-gestating epic is in a theater, the way the legendary director intended.

Genius artist Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) seeks to leap the City of New Rome into a utopian, idealistic future, while his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

“Megalopolis is exactly what movies can and should be—unflinchingly earnest.” Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

“Megalopolis might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every single batshit second of it.” Bilge Ebiri, Vulture

A raw, fly-on-the-wall documentary about Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-long journey in creating his self-financed passion project, MEGALOPOLIS. The bold and unrelenting epic returns in Mike Figgis’s portrait of Coppola’s creative process – weaving together archival material, unfiltered cast interviews, and a close-up view of how the legendary filmmaker drew from Roman history, political allegory, and his own singular vision to shape the world of Megalopolis. This isn’t a record of a production on the brink, it’s a personal memoir unfolding in real time.

Critic’s Pick! “Well worth watching not only for Coppola completists, but also because it offers an instructive peek at what it takes — logistically, financially, temperamentally and philosophically — to follow your muse without bowing to the demands of American industrial cinema.” Manohla Dargis, New York Times

“If you love movies and you’re interested in behind-the-scenes movies, this is as cool as they get.” Sean Fennessey, The Big Picture

4/4 stars! “Watching Coppola land on his head and then pick himself back up again and point himself at another brick wall is ultimately strangely inspiring.” Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com