Searching for Sugar Man
2012 · 85 min · Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
In the early 1970s, Sixto Rodriguez was a Detroit folksinger who had a short-lived recording career with only two well received but non-selling albums. Unknown to Rodriguez, his musical story continued in South Africa where he became a pop music icon and inspiration for generations. Long rumored there to be dead by suicide, a few fans in the 1990s decided to seek out the truth of their hero's fate. What follows is a bizarrely heartening story in which they found far more in their quest than they ever hoped, while a Detroit construction laborer discovered that his lost artistic dreams came true after all.
Emotional fingerprint
Searching for Sugar Man (2012) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Awe 30%, Empathy 25%, Inspiration 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Awe30%
- Empathy25%
- Inspiration20%
- Nostalgia15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Awe, Empathy, Inspiration. Genres: Documentary, Music, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Awe, Empathy and Inspiration. Its IMDb rating of 8.2/10 suggests a strong audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 74/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Joy
- Inspiration
- Curiosity
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Inspiration
Dominant emotion: Surprise
Dominant emotion: Joy
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Joy | Inspiration | Curiosity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Curiosity | 47 % | 5 % | 7 % | 52 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 6′ | Curiosity | 41 % | 6 % | 15 % | 45 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 11′ | Sadness | 43 % | 8 % | 19 % | 34 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Sadness | 52 % | 11 % | 26 % | 29 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Inspiration | 55 % | 16 % | 43 % | 33 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Inspiration | 50 % | 13 % | 40 % | 39 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Curiosity | 49 % | 5 % | 21 % | 51 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Curiosity | 53 % | 3 % | 11 % | 63 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Curiosity | 58 % | 8 % | 11 % | 66 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Curiosity | 66 % | 21 % | 16 % | 66 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Surprise | 74 % | 39 % | 26 % | 57 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Surprise | 68 % | 43 % | 40 % | 41 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Inspiration | 57 % | 29 % | 53 % | 28 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Inspiration | 56 % | 24 % | 51 % | 28 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 62′ | Surprise | 60 % | 39 % | 41 % | 35 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Joy | 71 % | 64 % | 48 % | 31 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Joy | 84 % | 80 % | 66 % | 21 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Inspiration | 80 % | 68 % | 70 % | 19 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Inspiration | 66 % | 38 % | 59 % | 19 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Inspiration | 60 % | 20 % | 53 % | 15 % |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Searching for Sugar Man. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self (uncredited)
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Details
- Directed by
- Malik Bendjelloul
- Written by
- Malik Bendjelloul, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Craig Bartholomew Strydom, Stephen Segerman
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2012
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Country
- Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland
- Genres
- Documentary, Music, Biography
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Awe
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
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