Joshua Fields Millburn
Self
Overview
They've built a movement out of minimalism. Longtime friends Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus share how our lives can be better with less.
Cast
Reviews
4 min readThe Empty Room as a Mirror
I’ve always been suspicious of documentaries that promise to change your life. Not because I doubt the power of ideas—just the opposite. I worry that the packaging, the slick editing, the carefully curated testimonials, will flatten complexity into a self-help infomercial. The Minimalists: Less Is Now walks right up to that line, and for most of its 53 minutes, I wasn’t sure which side it would land on.
The film follows Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, two childhood friends from Ohio who turned their disillusionment with consumer culture into a brand. Their first documentary, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2016), introduced their philosophy: that paring down possessions can lead to a richer, more intentional life. Five years later, Less Is Now feels like a sequel in the most literal sense—a chance to revisit old arguments, check in with familiar faces, and, perhaps, sell a few more books or Patreon subscriptions.
That’s not to say the film lacks sincerity. Millburn and Nicodemus are compelling guides, their Midwestern earnestness a counterpoint to the cynicism that often greets self-help gurus. They don’t preach from a mountaintop; they sit in modest living rooms, sipping coffee, talking about their own struggles with debt, depression, and the hollow promise of "more."
In one of the film’s most effective sequences, Nicodemus describes his "packing party"—a now-famous experiment where he boxed up all his belongings and only unpacked what he truly needed. The camera lingers on his face as he admits how little he missed. It’s a quiet moment, but it lands harder than any statistic about consumer waste.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 7.2/10
"A concise and visually engaging introduction to minimalism, though some find it repetitive or overly simplistic."
Viewers appreciate the film’s clean visual style and the relatable journey of Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, which makes minimalism feel accessible. latestnetflix.com's take is that however, some criticize it for rehashing familiar themes from their earlier work without adding much depth, leaving it feeling more like an extended motivational talk than a fresh documentary.
What viewers praise
- Visually appealing The film’s sleek direction and cinematography make the minimalist lifestyle look inviting and modern.
- Relatable hosts Joshua and Ryan’s personal stories resonate, making minimalism feel achievable rather than extreme.
- Short and digestible At 53 minutes, the runtime is praised for being concise and to the point.
- Inspiring for beginners Newcomers to minimalism find it a great starting point for rethinking consumption habits.
Common complaints
- Repetitive content Longtime fans of The Minimalists feel it recycles ideas from their podcasts and previous documentaries without enough new insights.
- Lacks depth Some viewers expected a deeper exploration of minimalism’s challenges or societal impacts, rather than a surface-level overview.
- Overly polished The high-production aesthetic strikes a few as at odds with the anti-consumerist message, feeling more like a Netflix ad than a grassroots movement.
- Limited practical advice While motivational, the film is criticized for not offering enough actionable steps for viewers to implement minimalism in their own lives.
Recommended for
Minimalism beginners Fans of self-improvement docs Joshua Fields Millburn followers Short documentary lovers Netflix documentary viewers Anti-consumerism curious
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Minimalists: Less Is Now—Why Netflix and a Tight 53-Minute Run Time?
The Minimalists: Less Is Now (2021) arrived on Netflix as a sleek, 53-minute follow-up to the duo’s earlier documentary, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2016). Directed by Matt D’Avella, the film zeroes in on Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, the duo who turned decluttering into a cultural movement. latestnetflix.com's view is that but behind the polished minimalist aesthetic, the project had its own streamlined production story—one shaped by Netflix’s platform, a tight runtime, and a deliberate pivot from their previous work.
Netflix’s Role: A Strategic Choice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSXyV4uj4vA
The Minimalists’ decision to partner with Netflix wasn’t accidental. In a YouTube discussion , D’Avella and the duo hinted at the platform’s reach as a key factor. Netflix’s global audience—over 200 million subscribers at the time—offered a way to amplify their message beyond the niche crowds who had already embraced minimalism. The film’s January 1, 2021 release date 
also aligned with New Year’s resolutions, a prime time for lifestyle content.
Unlike their 2016 documentary, which had a theatrical run and a longer 79-minute runtime , Less Is Now was designed for bingeability. The 53-minute duration suggests a conscious effort to fit Netflix’s algorithm-friendly format, where shorter docs often perform well in recommendation engines. D’Avella’s background in YouTube filmmaking (he’s known for his work with Casey Neistat) likely influenced the film’s punchy pacing, making it digestible for viewers scrolling through endless options.
A Shift in Focus: From Movement to Personal Reinvention
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn-xbOCZOiQ
While Minimalism (2016) introduced the broader philosophy of living with less, Less Is Now drills deeper into Millburn and Nicodemus’ personal journeys. The film’s trailer teases their evolution—from corporate burnout to full-time minimalism advocates—suggesting a more introspective tone. Rumor (unconfirmed) swirls that the duo’s own struggles with scaling their brand played into the film’s narrative, though the evidence doesn’t spell this out.
What is clear is the film’s tighter scope. The 2016 doc featured a wider cast of experts, while Less Is Now keeps the spotlight on Millburn and Nicodemus , with cameos from figures like financial guru Dave Ramsey. This shift may reflect Netflix’s preference for character-driven stories over sprawling exposés.
Reception and Ratings: Mixed but Engaged
Critically, Less Is Now didn’t set the world on fire. SensCritique users rated it 4.9/10 , a drop from the 6.1/10 score of their first film . The shorter runtime and narrower focus might explain the lukewarm response—some viewers likely wanted more depth. Still, the film’s existence on Netflix ensured it reached far more people than their earlier work, proving the platform’s power to turn niche ideas into mainstream conversations.
The Takeaway: Minimalism, Maximized for Streaming
The Minimalists: Less Is Now wasn’t just a sequel—it was a strategic adaptation. By embracing Netflix’s format, a tighter runtime, and a more personal story, D’Avella and the duo crafted a film that fit the streaming era. Whether it resonated as deeply as their first documentary remains debatable, but its existence underscores how even anti-consumerist messages can thrive in the right digital ecosystem.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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