Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.
Objectified is a visually clean and well-assembled documentary that gathers an impressive roster of industrial designers and thinkers, offering genuine insight into how everyday objects are conceived and crafted. The cinematography is crisp and deliberately composed, mirroring the aesthetic sensibility of its subjects. However, the film lacks a strong narrative arc — it unfolds as a series of talking-head interviews without building toward a dramatic or intellectually satisfying conclusion, leaving the ending feeling abrupt and somewhat anticlimactic. Its novelty lies in the specificity of its subject matter and Gary Hustwit's knack for making design culture accessible and visually engaging, though it follows a fairly standard documentary format. Acting is not traditionally applicable but the subjects are articulate and compelling on screen.