Friday, November 17, 2023

WeWork: Making and Breaking a Unicorn (2021)

 


 

 

 

 

 

 






WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn is a documentary film which premiered at South By South West (SXSW) in March 2021. It was released on US television (Hulu) in April 2021.

 

This film is about Adam Neumann and the company WeWork which he co-founded in 2010.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Producer: Ross M. Dinerstein

** Writer and director: Jed Rothstein

** Distribution: Hulu

** Run time: 104 minutes

 

This film covers the rise and fall of WeWork, which was co-founded by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey in 2010. The company expanded extremely fast. Surprisingly fast.

 

In September 2019, the value of the company was assessed to be 47 billion dollars. But only six weeks later, the company collapsed and its value was reduced to almost nothing.

 

The CEO Adam Neumann was fired. But the company continued to exist, although it was a much smaller version than before.

 

Apparently, the reduction in size and ambition was not enough to save the company. In November 2023, it filed for bankruptcy.

 

How is the rise and fall of this company covered? 

 

Writer and director Jed Rothstein has interviewed some of the people who used to work for the company.

 

Their observations are useful. They help us understand what was happening behind the polished façade of WeWork.

 

In addition, archive footage is used extensively to cover events which happened in the past.

 

Neither Adam Neumann nor his wife Rebekah Neumann wished to be interviewed, but they are seen in several old clips.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

Here are some results:

 

** 61 percent = Meta

** 66 percent = IMDb

** 62 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

** 76 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

According to the ratings, this film is good but not great. The ratings correspond to a point somewhere between three and four stars on Amazon, but they do not go all the way to the top.

 

On IMDb, there are 24 user reviews of this product; 23 with a specific rating. Here are the headlines and the ratings offered:

 

30 = Poorly executed

 

40 = Lots of millennial whining

40 = Too long. Unclear. Aimless

40 = “We” is upside down to confuse you into working for “Me”

 

50 = Informative but poorly executed

50 = The dreams of a narcissistic salesman who believes he is the greatest businessman alive

50 = More about the cult leader & not the downfall

50 = Nothing original

50 = WeBored

50 = The difference between a great salesman and a successful businessman

 

60 = “The most precious resource we have is time”

60 = Well edited and informative

60 = Tommy Wiseau’s little brother

 

70 = Interesting

70 = Just like Theranos… Except he doesn’t go to jail. Instead, he thrives

70 = I can’t stop shaking my head

70 = You, Sir, are no Steve Jobs

 

80 = WeWork was not what I thought it would be

80 = Quite fascinating, but could’ve been shorter

80 = The narcissist with a genuinely inspiring vision and a MeRich syndrome

80 = Typical but enthralling, nonetheless

 

100 = Brilliant. Yet another disaster many should have seen coming

100 = Why We are in the mess the We created

 

As you can see, the user reviews posted on IMDb are all over the place. They run from a low rating of 30 percent to a high rating of 100 percent.

 

I agree with the conclusion which emerges from Rotten Tomatoes: this film is good but not great. In my opinion, it deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

Billion Dollar Loser:

The Epic Rise and Fall of WeWork

By Reeves Wisemann

(2020 Hardcover)

(2021 Paperback)

 

The Cult of We:

WeWork, Adam Neumann,

and the Great Startup Delusion

By Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell

(2021 Hardcover)

(2022 Paperback)

 

# 2. Film and video

 

We Crashed:

A Love Story Worth $47 Billion

A historical drama which premiered in 2022

A miniseries with eight episodes

 

*****


WeWork:
Or the Making and Breaking
of a $47 Billion Unicorn

A documentary film which

premiered in 2021

 

Adam Neuman liked to say:

The keyword is We!

But according to his critics,

the real keyword is Me!

 

*****


From the left:

** Rebekah Neumann = Adam's wife

** Miguel McKelvey = co-founder

** Adam Neumann = co-founder


*****


 

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