Saving Banksy

Saving Banksy

It's not art unless you can sell it for lots of money

Directed by Colin Day

201780 min6.7 / 10

A documentary that uses Banksy's San Francisco rat as a lens to examine art commodification, institutional gatekeeping, and the tension between street art's rebellious origins and its market value.

Internationally known graffiti artist, Banksy, left his mark on San Francisco in April 2010. Little did he know that this act of vandalism would spark a chain of events that includes one of his rats being removed from a wall, Museums ignorantly turning down a free Banksy street work, and a NY gallerist who has made it his business model to remove Banksy street works from all over the globe doing whatever it takes to get the rat in his possession.

Questions people ask

  • Is Saving Banksy violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.

  • Is Saving Banksy sad? Not especially. Less sad than 67% of films.

  • Does Saving Banksy end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 64% of films.

  • Is Saving Banksy scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Is Saving Banksy easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

57/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity93

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise31

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love55

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Like Saving Banksy

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Saving Banksy

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Saving Banksy, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Saving Banksy, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Saving Banksy, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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