Better Living Through Circuitry
Seventh Art Releasing | Release Date: May 26, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesEric Harrison
Circuitry plugs into the underground world of raves. The scene, complete with drugs and its own culture, is blissfully examined in a documentary that speaks the language of its youthful generation. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderTed Shen
It's as slick as anything you might find on the Discovery Channel, and the snippets of 3-D computer animation are too cool for words. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Fascinating but repetitious, Better Living Through Circuitry nevertheless does a good job describing the scene.
80
SalonJeff Stark
In this floor-level view of the rave scene, director Jon Reiss keeps it pumping, humming, buzzing and spinning. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyJohn Payne
Succeeds in articulating the fluid values and constituent parts of the "culture" even as that culture's subjects are at best mildly articulate. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleNiva Chonin
It's the content that makes this documentary fly. The documentary's only stumbling point is its dearth of historical context. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyBruce Fretts
It's got a good beat, you can dance to it. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Intelligent and engaging, this documentary about rave culture overcomes the challenge inherent in its subject; rave's appeal is by nature nonanalytical and experiential, while documentary films play to the intellectual observer. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The movie is essentially pro-Ecstasy. No matter how much the D.J.'s may claim that their electronic sounds produce the euphoria of a good rave, the movie clearly implies that Ecstasy is the key that unlocks it all. Read full review
70
Film.comErnest Hardy
Questions loom heavily over this entertaining but not-too-deep film, making it more a commercial than real exploration. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
While there is a faithful following of kids, it just never seems as exciting or sad or emotional -- or as ablaze with personalities -- as what has gone before. Read full review
67
Mr. ShowbizAndrew Strickman
Jon Reiss' compelling documentary on the people, music, and social constructs of dance culture, may perhaps provide some needed balance to the mass media attention.
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Suffers from a surplus of interviews and information that imbue it with a vague sense of overkill. Read full review
63
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
Fans likely to rave about Living. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldCary Darling
While Circuitry has its pleasures, it's not as intelligent as "Modulations," a previous documentary on the subject, and its focus is a bit skewed.
38
New York PostHannah Brown
It's not much fun to watch people go to raves. And it's even less fun to listen to people talk about how much fun it is to go to raves.
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