Self/less

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tarsem Singh directs. Brendan Galvin behind the camera. Dudu Aram scores. Robert Duffy cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 11 years ago.
• 2Directed by Tarsem Singh, shot by Brendan Galvin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 3Original score by Dudu Aram. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 4Editor Robert Duffy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 5Ryan Reynolds and Ben Kingsley and Natalie Martinez carry the top of the cast.
• 6Marketing tagline: "God Created Man. Man Created Immortality.".
• 7IMDB entry: tt2140379 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 8Classified under 16 themes, including "immortality", "lie", "terminal illness", "laboratory".
• 9Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Brendan Galvin

Original score

Dudu Aram

Editing

Robert Duffy

Production design

Tom Foden

Costume design

Shay Cunliffe

Makeup / hair

Vivian Baker

VFX supervisor

Curt Miller

Sound

Kevin O'Connell

Runtime

117 min · 1h 57m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$26,000,000

Box office

$31,807,156

Return

122% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG-13

IMDB

Self/less (2015) ↗

Also by

Tarsem Singh

• 
  The Fall

  2008 · ★ 7.6
• 
  Emerald City

  2017 · ★ 6.6
• 
  The Cell

  2000 · ★ 6.3
• 
  Immortals

  2011 · ★ 6.1
• 
  Dear Jassi

  2023 · ★ 6.0
• 
  Mirror Mirror

  2012 · ★ 5.9

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Ryan Reynolds Reinvents Himself - Extended Preview

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Ben Kingsley Becomes Ryan Reynolds Extended Preview

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Reno2016-01-04
  ★ 8/10

  Not very innovative, as well as not that bad. Like the previous year, the 2015 was also considered the year of sci-fi in the film world. Plenty of large and small scale flicks came out and among them I was eagerly waiting for this one. If the story is what you always prefer with a fine production quality, then this film won't disappoint you. The performances were also well supported. Then what was this film's issue? The last time widely accepted movie by Tarsem Singh was when he engaged in the screenplay development. After that he did not see much success where all his directed ones were written by others. My perception is that he must do those both department where he's good at it. Take this film as an example, an awesome story and had a good cast, but the writing was let down according to many who saw it. Even in the short period of appearance, Ben Kingsley's role's legacy carried out till the end, because the concept was designed like that way. Being one of the top actors, Ryan Reylands films are not that celebratable. Though he's doing a decent flicks often and those were failing to recognise in the higher level, which did not spare this one as well. People are comparing it to 'Face/off', but to me it looked more like coming together of 'The Island' and 'Skeleton Key'. Whatever it is I had a good time. Not a fresh concept of an idea, but narrated differently and it needed a bit depth in showcasing everything in the film. My formula/secret for watching a movie successfully even it considered as an average or worse is, I won't bother for all the departments come together to become a well crafted product like the critics expect, because I'm a movie fanatic and love watching them almost most of the time than arguing about its flawed contents. If I find anything solely interesting like acting, music, story, visuals, I respect the efforts. So do I to this one and believe me it is much better than what the critics say so. 7/10

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• RA

  Ram Bergman Productions

  US

• 

  Endgame Entertainment

  US

Key crew

• Property MasterBrook Yeaton
• EditorRobert Duffy
• Production DesignTom Foden
• Costume DesignShay Cunliffe
• ProducerPeter Schlessel
• CastingMary Vernieu
• Co-ProducerCameron Jewell
• ProducerRam Bergman
• Line ProducerDavid Pomier
• Co-ProducerNikos Karamigios
• ProducerJames D. Stern
• CastingVenus Kanani
• Sound RecordistRick Nelson
• FoleyVince Nicastro
• Sound Re-Recording MixerKevin O'Connell
• Costume SupervisorAndree Fortier
• Script SupervisorJean-Paul Chreky
• Sound Re-Recording MixerSteven Ticknor
• Set DecorationCindy Carr
• Conceptual DesignJosue Clotaire Fleurimond
• Set CostumerMegan Richardson
• Music EditorRichard Henderson
• Music SupervisorJohn Houlihan
• Script SupervisorAlexander B. Hill

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• immortality
• lie
• terminal illness
• laboratory
• cancer
• transhumanism
• doctor
• body-swap
• death
• false memory
• soul transference
• rich man
• mind transfer
• host body
• body snatching
• eternal

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical2015-07-10PG-13

Also known as

International titles

• InmortalCL
• SelflessUS
• Self-LessUS
• Self LessUS
• Sem RetornoBR
• EternalES
• 換命法則TW
• ImmortelCA
• In/MortalCO
• Selfless – Der Fremde in MirDE
• RenaissancesFR
• Self-LessIT
• セルフレス 覚醒した記憶JP
• InmortalAR
• 換命遊戲HK