Grizzly Man

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Grizzly Man

R

2005

1h 43m

Documentary

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

147 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Pieced together from Timothy Treadwell's actual video footage, Werner Herzog's remarkable documentary examines the calling that drove Treadwell to live among a tribe of wild grizzly bears on an Alaskan reserve. A devoted conservationist with a passion for adventure, Timothy believed he had bridged the gap between human and beast. When one of the bears he loved and protected tragically turns on him, the footage he shot serves as a window into our understanding of nature and its grim realities.

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Critics Consensus

Whatever opinion you come to have of the obsessive Treadwell, Herzog has once again found a fascinating subject.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

02/22/2025

4.5/5

Timothy Treadwell is the living embodiment of Herzog's ecstatic truth.

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Heather Havrilesky

Salon.com

07/16/2019

Of course, the legendary filmmaker can't resist inserting his own outsize ego into the story, but somehow this documentary has room for two larger-than-life characters.

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Zadie Smith

Daily Telegraph (UK)

01/16/2018

Herzog has his documentary in hand, explaining that what we have here "iz on astone-ishing story of beauty and depth". He's not wrong.

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Carson Timar

ClapperCast

Dec 17

Herzog crafts one of the greatest documentaries ever made. Offering a complex look at a complex man, the film allows the audience the autonomy to think and draw their own conclusions as it presents the evidence of what happened and searches for answers.

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Raquel Stecher

Quelle Movies

Nov 1

While Treadwell’s violent death looms over the film, Herzog expertly engages the audience in what seems like a film within a film, one that Treadwell was still making when his subject became his killer.

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Christopher Campbell

Nonfics (Substack)

Aug 6

Werner Herzog’s 2005 feature seems to include but also scrutinize everything that made documentaries so successful at the time (and maybe predated some trends as well).

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David R

@DavidRankin Mar 1

I really enjoyed this. Sad but real. Amazing ability to fit in with the bears. Seems like a self proclaimed prophecy. Nature has a way.

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Tom F

@RT55173143 Feb 7

I totally slept on this until noticing it in NYT’s list of best movies of the century. Timothy Treadwell is a bit of a jerk but a fascinating documentary subject. Werner Herzog’s narration sounds like self parody but is totally absorbing.

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Mike W

@MikeW269 Jan 18

The Grizzly Man was obsessed IMO. The movie about his obsession which leads to he and his girlfriend being eaten is far too long and boring. He did manage to stay safe for years while behaving like a Touron.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Nov 21

Real footage in 01 hour, 44 minutes, and 30 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $3,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Maksim S

@MaksimusMovies Nov 10

Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man chronicles the life and tragic death of Timothy Treadwell, a man who spent years living among Alaskan bears. Using Treadwell’s own footage alongside interviews with those who knew him, the film explores obsession, nature, and the fragile line between passion and recklessness. Bleak at times yet mesmerizing, Herzog’s narration and the footage make it compelling and never dull, offering a haunting, unforgettable meditation on humanity and wilderness.

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HameZz Z

@HameZz Oct 5

I almost felt bad for laughing at this. The subject is interesting, but the documentary is executed in a way that makes it pretty hilarious at times. There are a few very awkward moments that feel like they shouldn’t have made it into the final cut. It’s certainly interesting, though — I got to see some pretty cool things, like two gigantic bears brawling it out.

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Werner Herzog

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Werner Herzog

Narrator

Jewel Palovak

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Warren Queeney

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Carol Dexter

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Val Dexter

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Synopsis

Pieced together from Timothy Treadwell's actual video footage, Werner Herzog's remarkable documentary examines the calling that drove Treadwell to live among a tribe of wild grizzly bears on an Alaskan reserve. A devoted conservationist with a passion for adventure, Timothy believed he had bridged the gap between human and beast. When one of the bears he loved and protected tragically turns on him, the footage he shot serves as a window into our understanding of nature and its grim realities.

Director: Werner Herzog
Producer: Erik Nelson
Screenwriter: Werner Herzog
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Lions Gate Entertainment, Discovery Docs, Real Big Production
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.2M
Runtime: 1h 43m

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