Is This What You Were Born For?
“Abigail Child’s series IS THIS WHAT YOU WERE BORN FOR? is one of the most assured and important projects to have emerged over the last decade. Constructing from and subverting a wide galaxy of source materials, these films are archeological digs into the very stuff, the conceptions, we are born into. Child decomposes the materials and gestures that would compose us. The films are charged with a startling and playful musicality and poetic and rigorous compression. Each image and sound cuts deep and works over time containing hidden and unhidden detonations working against the manufactured ambush that images have in store. Agile dances through treacherous debris, they negotiate an obstacle course of polar anatomies zig-zagging with corkscrew twists and nuclear splits -- a gambol against the hazards.
Franchise Evolution & Timeline Analysis
The Is This What You Were Born For? has evolved significantly over a span of 8 years, growing from a singular narrative into a complex cinematic universe. With 7 interconnected entries, tracking the consistency of the franchise reveals fascinating trends in audience sentiment.
The "Series" Benchmark: 4.0/10
The franchise maintains a steady average rating of 4.0. While most series experience "Sequel Fatigue," Is This What You Were Born For? has managed to keep its narrative quality relatively stable, with Prefaces standing out as the peak cinematic achievement.
Continuity vs. Commercial Appeal
Our data indicates that while the "Release Order" is preferred for first-time viewers, the "Chronological Order" provides a much deeper understanding of the world-building within the Is This What You Were Born For?. The timeline highlights a clear three-act structure across all chapters.
Timeline & Watch Order
We recommend watching the Is This What You Were Born For? franchise in the following order to fully experience the narrative expansion.
Prefaces
Prefaces is composed of wild sounds constructed along entropic lines, placed tensely beside bebop rhythms, and a resurfacing narrative cut from a dialogue with ...
Mutiny
Mutiny employs a panoply of expression, gesture, and repeated movement. Its central images are of women: at home, on the street, at the workplace, at school, ta...
Covert Action
Covert Action is a stunning melange of rapid-fire retro imagery accomplishing Child’s proclaimed goal to "disarm my movies." "I wanted to examine the erotic beh...
Perils
The condensed filmic work of Abigail Child, borrowing strategies from found footage, Appropriation Art, Language Poetry and experimental music, stands a a landm...
Mayhem
In 1983, filmmaker and poet Abigail Child cut up old footage from Between Times, a documentary profile of high school girls in Minneapolis which she had produce...
Both
A beautifully ambiguous study of the nude in light and movement, this short silent film focuses on the dimly lit bodies of two women shot from Child’s distinctl...
Mercy
Images and sounds of American mass media, are dissected and carefully composed into a rapid-fire montage which reveals the processes at work. The myth of the 'b...
Common Questions about Is This What You Were Born For?
How many movies are in the Is This What You Were Born For??
There are currently 7 movies in the Is This What You Were Born For?, starting from Prefaces to the latest release, Mercy.
What is the best order to watch the Is This What You Were Born For??
The best way to watch the Is This What You Were Born For? is usually in release order: starting with Prefaces and ending with Mercy. Check our timeline for the full chronological breakdown.
Which is the highest-rated movie in the Is This What You Were Born For??
According to movieMx ratings, the fans have a strong preference for Prefaces in this franchise.