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People Are Saying This Historical Drama Is The ‘Greatest Movie Of All Time’

Film buffs say the 2006 historical drama Apocalypto is the 'greatest movie of all time.'
Credit: Icon Film Distribution

Film buffs have described a lesser-known historical drama as the ‘greatest movie of all time.’

The action-adventure has been branded as a ‘must-watch’ and ‘one of the best movies of the 2000s.’

It’s even received praise from director Quentin Tarantino, who labeled it a ‘masterpiece.’

The fan-favorite is now being raved about on social media, with viewers urging others to watch it.

Apocalypto (2006).
Some viewers say the historical drama is the ‘greatest movie of all time.’ Credit: Icon Film Distribution

One person writes: “Very few films evoke emotions from me, but I have to say, this is brilliant.”

Another adds: “One of my top 10 movies of all time. Words can’t really explain how powerful and well-made this movie is.”

“I can watch this movie a million times without getting bored,” someone else says.

A fourth viewer comments: “This should be in the conversation as one of the best horror and action movies of the 2000s.”

“A must-watch movie. Don’t miss this,” raves another.

Apocalypto (2006).
The historical action-adventure was produced and directed by Mel Gibson. Credit: Icon Film Distribution

The historical action-adventure, produced and directed by Mel Gibson, is set in the 16th-century Mayan civilization.

Its description reads: “Jaguar Paw, a young man, is captured by rulers of the Mayan kingdom. When they decide to sacrifice him, he makes a plan to escape death.”

The drama has scored an audience score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb.

David Keyes from Cinemaphile wrote: “It isn’t simply an effective movie, but an immensely powerful one: a benchmark and a foresight seemingly all rolled into one.”

“Pathologically brilliant. It is bizarre, stomach-turningly violent, and frequently inspired,” said Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.

Apocalypto (2006).
The movie has been called out for being historically inaccurate. Credit: Icon Film Distribution

Although Apocalypto was lauded by critics and fans alike, the drama was controversial.

Many scholars consider it historically inaccurate, particularly concerning the depiction of mass human sacrifice.

Zachary Hruby, a Maya expert at the University of California, Riverside, told National Geographic: “The Aztecs are known to have sacrificed large numbers of people, though according to the archaeological record, we are unsure of how many would be sacrificed at one time.

“There are no data to support that the Maya carried out sacrifice on such a large scale.”

Apocalypto (2006).
Apocalypto was a box office hit despite its controversies. Credit: Icon Film Distribution

Ricardo Cajas, Guatemala’s presidential commissioner on racism, said the film set back the understanding of Mayan people by 50 years.

He told the Associated Press (per The Guardian): “It’s a case of Western civilization imposing its view about other civilizations.”

Despite Apocalypto‘s brush with controversy, it didn’t affect the film’s success.

The movie was a box office hit and won numerous awards, including the COFCA Award for Best Cinematography.

Watch the trailer for the historical drama here…

For those curious to watch Apocalypto, it’s available to stream via Prime Video, Apple TV, and ITVX. 

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Written by Kyra Hall

Kyra is a content editor at IGV who specializes in film, TV, and celebrity news. She has a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a master's in Documentary Production from Nottingham Trent University. Kyra previously worked as an intern at ITV Tonight and as a freelance filmmaker.