Movies Like Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003)

Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers is a 2003 documentary film from Erik Gandini with a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Light Bulb Conspiracy and The True Cost.

Documentary

The Light Bulb Conspiracy

2010

Once upon a time... consumer goods were built to last. Then, in the 1920’s, a group of businessmen realized that the longer their product lasted, the less money they made, thus Planned Obsolescence was born, and manufacturers have been engineering products to fail ever since. Combining investigative research and rare archive footage with analysis by those working on ways to save both the economy and the environment, this documentary charts the creation of ‘engineering to fail’, its rise to prominence and its recent fall from grace.

7.6

MagicScore

The True Cost

2015

Film from Andrew Morgan. The True Cost is a documentary film exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet.

7.5

MagicScore

Generation Wealth

2018

Over the past 25 years, Lauren Greenfield's documentary photography and film projects have explored youth culture, gender, body image, and affluence. Underscoring the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, portraits reveal a focus on cultivating image over substance, where subjects unable to attain actual wealth instead settle for its trappings, no matter their ability to pay for it.

6.4

MagicScore

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

2005

This documentary takes the viewer on a deeply personal journey into the everyday lives of families struggling to fight Goliath. From a family business owner in the Midwest to a preacher in California, from workers in Florida to a poet in Mexico, dozens of film crews on three continents bring the intensely personal stories of an assault on families and American values.

6.2

MagicScore

Repo Man

1984

A down and out young punk gets a job working with a seasoned repo man, but what awaits him in his new career is a series of outlandish adventures revolving around aliens, the CIA, and a most wanted '64 Chevy.

6.6

MagicScore

Absolut

2005

Two guys against globalization want to plant a virus in the network of a finance corporation. On the day of the attack Alex has an accident and cannot remember anything. Visions and reality are thrown together in a confusing maze. Alex tries to escape from this muddle but what he discovers turns out to be rather frightening…

7.8

MagicScore

Czech Dream

2004

Two students from the Czech Film Academy commission a leading advertising agency to organize a huge campaign for the opening of a new supermarket named Czech Dream. The supermarket however does not exist and is not meant to. The advertising campaign includes radio and television ads, posters, flyers with photos of fake Czech Dream products, a promotional song, an internet site, and ads in newspapers and magazines. Will people believe in it and show up for the grand opening?

7.2

MagicScore

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy

2024

This subversive documentary unpacks the tricks brands use to keep their customers consuming — and the real impact they have on our lives and the world.

6.5

MagicScore

The Phantom Carriage

1921

An alcoholic, abusive ne'er-do-well is shown the error of his ways through a legend that dooms the last person to die on New Year's Eve before the clock strikes twelve to take the reins of Death's chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year.

7.8

MagicScore

#10

Good Morning

1959

A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of intergenerational relationships, Good Morning tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking in protest after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his child protagonists. Shot in stunning color and set in a suburb of Tokyo where housewives gossip about the neighbors’ new washing machine and unemployed husbands look for work as door-to-door salesmen, this charming comedy refashions Ozu’s own silent classic I Was Born, But . . . to gently satirize consumerism in postwar Japan.

7.7

MagicScore

#11

Dawn of the Dead

1978

During an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

Eyes Wide Shut

1999

After Dr. Bill Harford's wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.

7.5

MagicScore

#13

Il bell'Antonio

1960

Problems arise for Antonio Magnano when he is unable to consummate his marriage to the beautiful Barbara Puglisi and his virility is called into question. Despite the fact that he loves his beautiful wife and they have otherwise been happily married for a year, his problem becomes a source of contention for all concerned.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

The Lorax

2012

A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Thanksgiving

2023

After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts - the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan.

6.5

MagicScore

#16

10 Items or Less

2006

An actor who is considering the role of a supermarket manager arrives at a grocery store on the outskirts of Los Angeles to do some field research. He subsequently becomes stranded, without a car or cell phone, and accepts a ride home with Scarlet, a cashier who is about to interview for a new job. The actor rediscovers the essence of his craft while helping Scarlet gain the confidence she needs to change her life.

6.2

MagicScore

#17

As Long as You've Got Your Health

1966

An anthology film consisting of four stories. (1) A man reads a Dracula novel while in bed, but cannot seem to tell the novel from reality, causing sleep troubles. (2) A man cannot escape the absurd ads he saw at the movie theater that day. (3) A polluted and construction-ridden town keeps everybody on edge, sending one man to the doctor. (4) A hunter, a farmer and a couple on a picnic unknowingly cause continuous trouble for one another.

6.1

MagicScore

#18

The Vagrant

1992

A business man buys a house, but he has a hard time trying to get rid of its previous tenant, a dirty bum.

5.8

MagicScore

#19

Velvet Buzzsaw

2019

Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

5.4

MagicScore

#20

Isle of Flowers

1989

A tomato is planted, harvested and sold at a supermarket, but it rots and ends up in the trash. But it doesn’t end there: Isle of Flowers follows it up until its real end, among animals, trash, women and children. And then the difference between tomatoes, pigs and human beings becomes clear.

8.1

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers?

The top films similar to Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers by MovieMagicScore are The Light Bulb Conspiracy (7.6), The True Cost (7.5), Generation Wealth (6.4). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers worth watching?

Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10 from 37 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers?

Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003) is a documentary film directed by Erik Gandini, starring John Zerzan, George W. Bush, Fidel Castro.

Where can I find more recommendations like Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more documentary recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Light Bulb Conspiracy Movies like The True Cost Movies like Generation Wealth Movies like Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price Movies like Repo Man Movies like Absolut

About movies like Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers

This ranked list pairs Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003), a documentary film from Erik Gandini, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of John Zerzan take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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