The title refers to the fact that the day chronicled is ostensibly Cave's 20,000th alive, though the movie is so slowly paced that 20,000 days seems more like the running time. Full Review

Cave is a charmingly introspective tour guide, letting us sit in on sessions with a shrink and chats with old pals....An intelligent and revealing look at one of rock's last true iconoclasts. -- Grade: A-

Rating: 4/5 -- The structure of Cave's day feels contrived at times, and there are moments when his ramblings cross the line into self-indulgence, but for the most part this is an intimate, warm film that genuinely gets into the head and heart of a dark, brooding soul. Full Review

An unconventional and, at times, profoundly beautiful hybrid of fly-on-the-wall documentary and drama....The film stars the singer-songwriter Nick Cave essentially playing a character called 'Nick Cave.'

Rating: 4/5 -- Near the end of the movie, Cave talks about living in the 'shimmering space' where imagination and reality intersect. He's talking about words and music, but he could be talking about 20,000 Days on Earth. Full Review

[T]he film attempts to match, through shadowy nuance and verité-style perspective, the starkness and intensity of Cave’s work, regardless of what medium it takes on. And at that, it almost entirely succeeds. -- Grade: B+

It is as intimate and honest a portrait of a rock artist’s creative roots as any film has attempted.