The Century of the Self (2002)

Name: The Century of the Self
Genre: Documentary
Rating: 8.7
Cast: Adam Curtis, Anne Bernays, Martin Bergmann, Robert Reich, Edward L. Bernays

Documentary

The legacy of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud informs the lives of people throughout the world even to this day, though it's a phenomenon to which most are unaware. The film is an exhaustive examination of his theories on human desire, and how they're applied to platforms such as advertising, consumerism and politics.

IMDb rating: 8.7 (6,932 votes)
Seasons: 1
Language: EN
Type: Mini-series

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Ratings refreshed Aug 19, 2026 · 1 season indexed

Cast

Adam Curtis Narrator
Anne Bernays Self
Martin Bergmann Self
Robert Reich Self
Edward L. Bernays Self (archive footage)
Sigmund Freud Self (archive footage)

Seasons

Season 1 (2002)

8.38 avg 4 episodes 8.5 → 8.2 59 min avg

Consistent
Declining

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Happiness Machines	8.5	303
2	The Engineering of Consent	8.4	221
3	There Is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed	8.4	190
4	Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering	8.2	179