Unknown: The Lost Pyramid

2023 1h 23m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 52

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Egyptian archaeologists dig into history, discovering tombs and artifacts over 4,000 years old as they search for a buried pyramid in this documentary.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Zahi Hawass
Self
Mostafa Waziri
Self
Afaf Wahba
Self
Tori Finlayson
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Max Salomon
Languages: English, Arabic
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Arabic.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Max Salomon, shot by Paul Kirsop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Brittany Kaplan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Zahi Hawass and Mostafa Waziri and Afaf Wahba carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt27837387 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Max Salomon directs. Paul Kirsop behind the camera. Brittany Kaplan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Arabic.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 3 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Arabic.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Max Salomon, shot by Paul Kirsop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Brittany Kaplan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Zahi Hawass and Mostafa Waziri and Afaf Wahba carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt27837387 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 52 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "egypt", "pyramid", "mummy", "egyptian mythology".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Kirsop
Editing: Brittany Kaplan
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Unknown: The Lost Pyramid (2023)

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Brent Marchant2023-07-19
★ 6/10
Uncovering lost antiquities is one of those topics that fascinates most of us, especially when they’re documented as the discoveries are made. This is one of the goals behind the Netflix “Unknown” documentary film series in its chronicles of such events around the world. In the series’ latest installment, filmmaker Max Salomon follows the efforts of Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and his colleagues as they seek to find the lost pyramid of Pharoah Huni, a little-known monarch of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, in the necropolis of Saqqara. The structure, believed to be located in an area of the ancient city that hasn’t been excavated (and thus suspected of not having been looted by grave robbers), fills the archaeological team with tremendous enthusiasm as to what they’ll find. It’s also an undertaking largely being conducted by native Egyptian investigators, a departure from previous excavations, which have been almost exclusively conducted by Westerners, a venture that’s hoped will put these researchers on the map in their own right. And, with a scant nine-month digging window open to them, they need to work quickly before desert weather conditions make their efforts impossible until the following year. The film reveals some truly remarkable discoveries, too, some of the most significant finds in the history of Egyptology. However, despite the significance of these revelations, the picture also lays it on a little thick when it comes to what Hawass and company have found. The degree of self-aggrandizing self-congratulation truly becomes tiresome and repetitive, so much so that the unbridled boasting overshadows the most valuable aspects of the film. What’s more, even though some genuinely remarkable artifact discoveries emerge from the excavators’ work, digging on what’s believed to be Huni’s pyramid itself is left at a preliminary stage when the nine months come to an end, suggesting that continued efforts are needed during a subsequent digging season. This means that the chronicling of this venture, though laudable, could nevertheless be premature. In light of this, perhaps it might have been better to wait until the excavation is complete before releasing this offering, as waiting for later may have provided viewers with a fuller, more impressive, more definitive finished product. In short, this documentary feels more like a work in progress than a conclusive record, one that I would have rather watched when complete than in the preliminary stage in which it has been left.

Production companies