SummaryThe story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz. From Swartz's help in the development of the basic internet protocol RSS to his co-founding of Reddit, his fingerprints are all over the internet. But it was Swartz's groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing combined with his aggressive approach to infor... Read More
Directed By:Brian Knappenberger
Written By:Brian Knappenberger
The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
78% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
22% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jun 26, 2014
100
This is a film that left me marveling at Swartz’s beautiful mind, and shaking my head at the insanity of the system he knew was badly fractured.
Oct 26, 2015
80
Essential viewing for anyone interested in what freedom of information means in the digital age, this passionate, fascinating, unapologetically partial but fair documentary celebrates Aaron Swartz.
Jun 26, 2014
75
Knappenberger’s documentary is smart and focused, homing in on a recurring theme of independence.
Jun 23, 2014
75
The film is far from a technical matter, fiercely promoting Swartz's legacy and challenging us with the same questions its central subject was compelled to ask.
Jun 25, 2014
60
The subject is an important one but would benefit from a shorter running time.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
86% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jul 29, 2014
9
Watched this a recently and was moved by the story. Swartz story could be seen as a cautionary tale. This film seemed more focused than Knappenberger's previous documentary about Anonymous. Both must-sees for the Internet generation and anyone interested in the current politics of information technology. Great filmmaker, can't wait to see what's next.
Feb 19, 2015
5
The audio in this film is atrocious. I had to stop about 20 minutes in and make a major equalization just so those watching could understand the dialogue. No closed-captioning, which is an industry standard (almost all low-budget films have closed-captioning) and no subtitles, again an industry standard. These penny-pinching Scrooges have done a great discredit to the memory of Aaron Swartz and he certainly deserved better. Shame on them. The film was a 10 but a great story with words you can't understand is a zero. I give it a 5.
Production Company:
- FilmBuff
- Participant
- Luminant Media
- Unjustus Films
Release Date:Jun 27, 2014
Duration:1 h 45 m
Tagline:Information is power
Awards
Golden Trailer Awards
• 2 Nominations
Sheffield International Documentary Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Writers Guild of America, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
