Less Is Now is the latest (and we hope not the last) documentary offering from The Minimalists, aka Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn.
The Minimalists: Less Is Now
Released on New Year’s Day and four years in the making, this documentary is the perfect way to spend an hour of your time to inspire you for the months ahead. ‘New Year, New You’ is a phrase commonly touted at this time in the calendar, but rather than focusing on the usual things- why not turn your attention to your spending habits and your relationship with stuff instead to achieve the new you? It all starts there.
As the documentary explains- we are neglecting the things that really matter for the sake of stuff and surely readjusting this imbalance is one of the best resolutions any of us can make.
Ryan and Joshua take us on a journey back through their own history to show how the so-called American dream turned into a nightmare for each of them and the lightbulb moment that paved the way for a simpler life.
Director Matt D’Avella recreates their old life as successful businessmen and as they adorn their suits and sit at their desks in their staged office and return to their large homes, you can almost feel the heaviness that weighed on them even as they simply reimagine their past.
Those of you who have followed the pair through their books, podcasts and previous documentary will be familiar with their stories already, however it was powerful to see pictures and clips of their childhood to have a greater understanding of how they have reached the point they are at now. We even get to see Joshua’s old house where he tells us in detail what a typical day was like for him and his mother.
A replica of Joshua’s mother’s house also features as he talks us through the process of letting go of her items after she passed away.
We get to hear from a number of minimalists from around the world who have found solace in a life with less- and as each one shares their story- the argument for simplicity becomes more and more convincing- even to someone such as myself who already identifies as a minimalist.
The documentary is peppered with startling figures that stop and make you think about the impact of ‘keeping up with The Jones’- longer working hours, debt, stress and discontent. The price we pay for being concerned with what others are doing.
New Year is the ideal time to reevaluate the things that have entered your space over the festive period and to put changes in place to alter the outcome for the Christmas 2021. This documentary addresses the why, rather than the how- which will be more meaningful to its viewers in the long term.
My only criticism is (if I must find one)- I was left wanting more as the credits rolled and I hope that this is not the last time the dream team of The Minimalists and Matt D’Avella work on a project together.
I simply couldn’t wait to watch this and it did not disappoint. Listening to those who contributed was like music to my ears and I hope that those I have recommended it to will find as much value in it as I did.
The Minimalists: Less Is Now is on Netflix now.
RELATED: Everything we know so far about the new The Minimalists: Less is Now documentary
Before Marie Kondo and The Home Edit, there were The Minimalists- two childhood friends who ditched the so-called dream of the big job, the flashy car, the palatial house and the bragging rights for a simpler life. In their new documentary that comes out next year, the trailer hints that we go back in time and learn more about their past and how it has shaped their present. So, what do we know already?... to read more click HERE
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