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CERN

CERN

TV movie201375 minMidcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Director
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Starring
Pauline Gagnon, Luca Bottura, Beniamino Di Girolamo, Tatuso Kawamoto

CERN in Switzerland is a research center where they try to recreate the big bang. Nikolaus Geyrhalter follows the center's infrastructure and meets the people who created the "Large Hadron Collider".

Where to watch

Where can I watch CERN?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists CERN streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about CERN?

CERN earns 1 badge: Slow burn.

Reception

Is CERN worth watching?

CERN's Midcredits score is the 33rd percentile of all films, from 197 ratings across 3 sources. 36% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

33rd percentile

Better received than 33% of films

7th percentile among Documentary34th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)35th
Approval (how many liked it)32nd

57 /100

35th percentile of all films

8th percentile among Documentary36th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.7 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

36% liked it

32nd percentile of all films

9th percentile among Documentary31st percentile among 2010s
36% rated it 7–1064% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

27th percentile

197 ratings across platforms

54th percentile among Documentary31st percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Detractors panned

  • excessive silent b-roll with no context
  • fails to deliver promised scientific depth
  • deadening atmosphere and unengaging interviews

What stands out

Cinematography55

great photography but pointless (silent shots of equipment)

Atmosphere25

dead, still-life feel; plastic-wrapped interview room

Plot and story20

no explanation of equipment or science

Pacing15

long silent periods; nothing happens for 72 minutes

Watch experience

What is CERN like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
ColdContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film adopts an observational, detached stance, treating its subject with clinical precision and minimal intervention, resulting in a cold and somewhat solemn register.
The rideThe film sustains a quiet, observational atmosphere with minimal emotional peaks, felt consistently from start to finish.
StructureThe film presents a series of observational scenes and interviews, often with long silent b-roll, lacking a traditional three-act arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's detached observation of the Large Hadron Collider's infrastructure and personnel may leave viewers pondering the scale of scientific endeavor while feeling a sense of sterile isolation.
How it ends · evidence
Cyclical ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeObservational documentary without a narrative plot structure; it follows infrastructure and interviews personnel at CERN.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfNatureIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% (this title) · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Nature · 2% of filmsAmbition · 7% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores humanity's relationship with nature through the attempt to recreate the Big Bang, and the ambition behind building and operating the Large Hadron Collider.
StanceThe film takes a neutral, observational stance toward its subject — neither celebrating nor criticizing the pursuit of recreating the Big Bang.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRealistic
AmbientBackground music · original score
SettingThe CERN research center in Switzerland, focused on the Large Hadron Collider.

Content guide

Is CERN okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • FinlandS

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does CERN have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in CERN?

Cast

Pauline Gagnon
as Self
Luca Bottura
as Self
Beniamino Di Girolamo
as Self
Tatuso Kawamoto
as Self
Yves Schutz
as Self
Claudia-Elisabeth Wulz
as Self
Massimo Lamanna
as Self
Sigurd Lettow
as Self
Christophe Grojean
as Self
Juan Carlos Perez
as Self

Crew

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What are movies like CERN?

The closest match to CERN is Particle Fever (2013); both are films set in academia.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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