I Just Can't Go On (1973): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1973, I Just Can't Go On is a documentary film directed by John Cook, running about 50 minutes.

What it’s about. In Canadian-born John Cook’s restless documentary of an Austrian couple, I JUST CAN’T GO ON, the husband Petrus, channeling “Cassius Marcellus Clay,” takes up boxing to supplement the income from his day-job burnishing frames. His companion, the much older Gisi, works as a janitor. They are an odd couple, scavenging at the bottom of the Viennese social ladder. But there is nothing patronizing or exploitative in Cook’s treatment of the couple and their eccentricities as they try to make ends meet. In one of the film’s key aesthetic choices, Cook eschews synched sound in favor of a stream-of-consciousness soundtrack pitting Petrus and Gisi’s unfiltered remarks in relief against the harsh material world.

Who’s in it. I Just Can't Go On stars Elfie Semotan as Narrator.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, I Just Can't Go On has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch I Just Can't Go On page.

If you liked it. Fans of I Just Can't Go On tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.