The great Walter Murch edited this documentary about the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland, and the experiments leading up to the discovery of the Higgs boson particle in 2012. It’s a good thing he did—the fleet and engaging storytelling sets this apart from most science docs. The movie lives up to its title in that it focuses on the enthusiasm of the thousands of physicists who worked at the LHC; in fact it often proceeds like a sports movie, steadily building anticipation until the breakthrough discovery occurs. The filmmakers find room for some witty philosophical bull sessions and affectionate portraits of some of the physicists; this is an agreeable light entertainment on a complex subject. Mark Levinson directed.
Particle Fever
1 hour 39 min • 2014
