--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Pi' was one of my favorite films growing…" description: "\"'Pi' was one of my favorite films growing up because I thought it employed paranoia and voice-over, and also because it used this unreliable narrator i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/sam-esmail-5206_growing-up_pi-was-one-of-my-favorite-films-growing_2346876.jpg" --- # 'Pi' was one of my favorite films growing up because I… ![“'Pi' was one of my favorite films growing up because I thought it employed paranoia and voice-over, and also because it used this unreliable narrator in a very fascinating way.” quote by Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/sam-esmail-5206_growing-up_pi-was-one-of-my-favorite-films-growing_2346876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/sam-esmail-5206_growing-up_pi-was-one-of-my-favorite-films-growing_2346876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/sam-esmail-5206_growing-up_pi-was-one-of-my-favorite-films-growing_2346876.jpg) > “'Pi' was one of my favorite films growing up because I thought it employed paranoia and voice-over, and also because it used this unreliable narrator in a very fascinating way.” [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admires the film for its paranoia, voice‑over, and unreliable narrator, finding it fascinating. **In simple terms:** The film’s style and narrator are compelling. Key Takeaway Appreciate complex storytelling. Themes film narrative paranoia Mood analytical intrigued Type critical interpretive When to use this quote - film analysis - creative writing - media studies Key Concepts unreliable narrator voice‑over psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does an unreliable narrator affect trust? - What makes paranoia engaging in film? A Different Perspective Complex narratives can alienate some audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Narrator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrator/) [Narrator Fascinating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrator-fascinating-5699841/) [Paranoia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoia/) [Paranoia Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoia-voice-5699842/) [Unreliable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreliable/) [Unreliable Narrator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreliable-narrator-921593/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I very much like the idea of the unreliable narrator. Shaping my fictions as monologues - by introducing the "I" - allows me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/i-very-much-like-the-idea-of-the-unreliable-narrator-shaping-my/) [Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/) > [I think every narrator is an unreliable narrator. In its classic definition - an unreliable narrator is one who reveals something they don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-roberge/i-think-every-narrator-is-an-unreliable-narrator-in-its-classic/) [Rob Roberge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-roberge/) > [I would love to play a sociopath or, like, an unreliable narrator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rothe/i-would-love-to-play-a-sociopath-or-like-an-unreliable-narrator/) [Jessica Rothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rothe/) > [“I want to write an unreliable narrator. In fact, he’ll be so unreliable that I’m not even sure he’ll show up to narrate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-want-to-write-an-unreliable-narrator-in-fact-he-ll-be-so-unreliable/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I know I love a novel with an unreliable narrator, and I think many readers do as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/i-know-i-love-a-novel-with-an-unreliable-narrator-and-i-think-many/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [The unreliable narrator is an odd concept. The way I see it, we're all unreliable narrators of our lives who usually have absolute trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-pinborough/the-unreliable-narrator-is-an-odd-concept-the-way-i-see-it-we-re-all/) [Sarah Pinborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-pinborough/) > [I think every first-person narrator in a novel should be compromised. I prefer that word to 'unreliable.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-palliser/i-think-every-first-person-narrator-in-a-novel-should-be-compromised/) [Charles Palliser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-palliser/) > [“Even the apparently unreliable narrator is more often than not reliably unreliable. Think of Kazuo Ishiguro’s butler in The Remains of the Day, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wood/even-the-apparently-unreliable-narrator-is-more-often-than-not/) [James Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wood/) > [What is most important to me is that my narrator's voice is believable, and that, though it is clearly an absolute fiction, it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bohjalian/what-is-most-important-to-me-is-that-my-narrator-s-voice-is/) [Chris Bohjalian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bohjalian/) > [“And it occurred to me; I was not part of the action. Oh God, I thought, I'm not an anthropologist. I'm the lonely voice-over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-pearson/and-it-occurred-to-me-i-was-not-part-of-the-action-oh-god-i-thought-i/) [Joanna Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-pearson/) > [“The narrator, in a voice-of-God tenor, explains the experiment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/the-narrator-in-a-voice-of-god-tenor-explains-the-experiment/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“At ten, I couldn't articulate much but I got the message: to be a true historian, you had to mourn amply and well. (spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/at-ten-i-couldn-t-articulate-much-but-i-got-the-message-to-be-a-true/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [“And because his narrator was characterized above all by his anxiety regarding the disconnect between his internal experience and his social self-presentation,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/and-because-his-narrator-was-characterized-above-all-by-his-anxiety/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [“I am going to tell a story now, and though I've made a life out of writing words, this is the first time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-palmer/i-am-going-to-tell-a-story-now-and-though-i-ve-made-a-life-out-of/) [Dexter Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-palmer/) > [It's amazing when I do a gig how many people of different ages come up to me afterwards and chat to me about songs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-henderson/it-s-amazing-when-i-do-a-gig-how-many-people-of-different-ages-come/) [Ella Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-henderson/) ## More by Sam Esmail > [The experience you're going to take the audience on is as important as the story you're trying to tell. And that experience needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/the-experience-you-re-going-to-take-the-audience-on-is-as-important/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [With TV season structures - and I'm a huge TV watcher - you look at shows like 'Breaking Bad,' which is my favorite show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/with-tv-season-structures-and-i-m-a-huge-tv-watcher-you-look-at-shows/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Even great actors who transform who they are still go to a really honest place; I think that's sort of that special skill that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/even-great-actors-who-transform-who-they-are-still-go-to-a-really/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I'm not in the business of adapting things that are popular for the sake of just getting it on the screen. I think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-adapting-things-that-are-popular-for-the/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [If your loved ones are far away, and they're uploading pictures, you feel like that's enough: these loose strands through email, through social media,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/if-your-loved-ones-are-far-away-and-they-re-uploading-pictures-you/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I had a funny last name, and I didn't look like everybody else, and I got faced with a lot of racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-had-a-funny-last-name-and-i-didn-t-look-like-everybody-else-and-i/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Movies and television show build on top of each other, succeed one another. In a large way, in terms of filmmaking aesthetics, they evolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/movies-and-television-show-build-on-top-of-each-other-succeed-one/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [The story of 'Mr. Robot' is really about this guy who's lonely - who's alone and feels so disconnected from the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/the-story-of-mr-robot-is-really-about-this-guy-who-s-lonely-who-s/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Music is everything to me. It's the heart and soul of a movie or TV show to me because it can be such an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/music-is-everything-to-me-it-s-the-heart-and-soul-of-a-movie-or-tv/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I use voiceover just like I use dialogue. There's a way to give out information or give out insight to the character or give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-use-voiceover-just-like-i-use-dialogue-there-s-a-way-to-give-out/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/oh-i-don-t-know-is-it-that-we-collectively-thought-steve-jobs-was-a/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [It's weird; my fascination with tech was kind of combined with the fact that my parents would never pay for anything. It got me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/it-s-weird-my-fascination-with-tech-was-kind-of-combined-with-the/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Growing up, my parents were very much about the Egyptian culture. They never really wanted to assimilate in American culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/growing-up-my-parents-were-very-much-about-the-egyptian-culture-they/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Girls rejected me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/girls-rejected-me-a-lot/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [It's not necessarily bad that you have angst or you have anger - it's what you do with it, how you interpret it into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/it-s-not-necessarily-bad-that-you-have-angst-or-you-have-anger-it-s/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) [Explore all 102 Sam Esmail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) ## More Growing up quotes > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. 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It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't a kid growing up thinking, 'One day I'll get an Oscar and make a speech.' That wasn't on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/i-wasn-t-a-kid-growing-up-thinking-one-day-i-ll-get-an-oscar-and-make/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I was young, but to me that was underground music. I had never heard anything like Venom or any of that stuff growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pajo/i-was-young-but-to-me-that-was-underground-music-i-had-never-heard/) [David Pajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pajo/) > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. 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