{{short description|British internet film critic and analyst}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Rob Ager | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}} | birth_place = Liverpool, England | death_date = | death_place = | website = {{URL|http://www.collativelearning.com}} | occupation = | years active = 2007–present | spouse = | partner = | youtube_id = UC9wMJIgU25UtMV3arDeHDyA | youtube_display_name = Collative Learning | youtube_id2 = UC72yyRtcpihPcAKxtHTtpgQ | youtube_display_name2 = Rob Ager | youtube_years_active = | youtube_genre = | youtube_subscribers = {{plainlist| *258 thousand (main channel) *360 thousand (combined) }}{{nu|date=October 2025}}<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | youtube_views = {{plainlist| *26.5 million (main channel) *30 million (combined) }}<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | stats_update = }}
'''Rob Ager''' (born 1973) is a British internet film critic and analyst. He has published in-depth analyses of a variety of films, including the horror genre and the works of Stanley Kubrick in particular. He has a YouTube channel, '''''Collative Learning''''' and a website of the same name. ==Life== Ager is from Liverpool.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ito|first=Robert|date=January 25, 2012|title=Cracking the Code in 'Heeere's Johnny!'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/movies/room-237-documentary-with-theories-about-the-shining.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211211946/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/movies/room-237-documentary-with-theories-about-the-shining.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Ager did not attend college. He worked on designing video game graphics before working for 15 years as a social worker.<ref name="nyfa">{{cite web|url=https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-become-a-film-critic-with-robert-ager/|title=How To Become A Film Critic: An Interview With Rob Ager|last=Kantilaftis|first=Helen|date=August 11, 2014|website=New York Film Academy|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027181806/https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-become-a-film-critic-with-robert-ager/|archive-date=October 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Film analysis== According to the New York Film Academy, Ager was one of the earliest internet movie critics and pioneered the video movie critique. He posted his first reviews in 2007.<ref name="nyfa"/> Ager has published popular analyses on films such as ''The Thing'' (1982),<ref>{{cite news|last=Green|first=Michael Bohdi|date=November 30, 2020|title=Why The Thing Is The Best Sci-Fi Horror Movie Of All Time|url=https://www.looper.com/286497/why-the-thing-is-the-best-sci-fi-horror-movie-of-all-time/|work=Looper|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164206/https://www.looper.com/286497/why-the-thing-is-the-best-sci-fi-horror-movie-of-all-time/|url-status=live}}</ref> and Stanley Kubrick films like ''The Shining''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilhemi|first=Jack|date=November 22, 2019|title=The Shining's Bear Man Is The Film's Biggest Mystery: Here's What It Means|url=https://screenrant.com/shining-movie-bear-man-suit-mystery-explained/?fbclid=IwAR2H_UqUwEBhw8rFv2npE7e2UsXrN2ihWb2Apns0EcwSdU3be8H6XXET8Gw|work=Screen Rant|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503035458/https://screenrant.com/shining-movie-bear-man-suit-mystery-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brady|first=Tara|date=November 1, 2019|title=Doctor Sleep director: 'There are people who are going to hate this movie'|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/doctor-sleep-director-there-are-people-who-are-going-to-hate-this-movie-1.4067118|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=November 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106113010/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/doctor-sleep-director-there-are-people-who-are-going-to-hate-this-movie-1.4067118|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Horton|first=Perry H.|date=December 8, 2016|title=Power, Pyramids, and Pecking Orders in A Clockwork Orange|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/power-pyramids-and-pecking-orders-in-a-clockwork-orange-372270708528/#.veofxge8l|work=Film School Rejects|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=June 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612203518/https://filmschoolrejects.com/power-pyramids-and-pecking-orders-in-a-clockwork-orange-372270708528/#.veofxge8l|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Coleman|first=Jonny|date=January 10, 2017|title=WHY EYES WIDE SHUT IS STANLEY KUBRICK'S BEST FILM|url=https://www.laweekly.com/why-eyes-wide-shut-is-stanley-kubricks-best-film/|work=Los Angeles Weekly|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204224103/http://www.laweekly.com/why-eyes-wide-shut-is-stanley-kubricks-best-film/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Aisha|date=January 7, 2013|title=Is HAL Really IBM?|url=https://slate.com/culture/2013/01/hal-9000-ibm-theory-stanley-kubrick-letters-shed-new-light-on-old-debate.html|work=Slate|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=April 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402213839/https://slate.com/culture/2013/01/hal-9000-ibm-theory-stanley-kubrick-letters-shed-new-light-on-old-debate.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2021 article, ''Esquire'' credited him with first developing the theory regarding suggestions of child sexual abuse in ''The Shining''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mullor|first=Miriera|date=March 7, 2021|title=Entendiendo 'El resplandor' 40 años después|url=https://www.esquire.com/es/actualidad/cine/a32617158/el-resplandor-explicacion-teorias/|work=Esquire|access-date=April 13, 2021|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405035710/https://www.esquire.com/es/actualidad/cine/a32617158/el-resplandor-explicacion-teorias/|archive-date=April 5, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
In a 2015 video series, Ager discussed possible vegan messages in ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Francisco |first=Eric |title=THE MOST INFLUENTIAL HORROR MOVIE OF ALL TIME IS LEAVING NETFLIX NEXT MONTH |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/texas-chainsaw-massacre-netflix-streaming-horror |work=Inverse |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031193152/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/texas-chainsaw-massacre-netflix-streaming-horror |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wickman |first=Forrest |date=July 30, 2013 |title=The Ultimate Pro-Vegetarian Film Is the Last Movie You'd Expect |url=https://slate.com/culture/2013/07/texas-chain-saw-massacre-and-vegetarianism-animal-rights-themes-in-the-original-movie-analyzed.html |work=Slate |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413181411/https://slate.com/culture/2013/07/texas-chain-saw-massacre-and-vegetarianism-animal-rights-themes-in-the-original-movie-analyzed.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He has also reviewed puzzle game ''The Witness''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Geerkens |first=Joy |date=July 12, 2017 |title=Leisure Time: 'The Witness' |url=https://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_4e3d3d98-66b3-11e7-a914-f3a66ac35577.html |work=The Daily of the University of Washington |access-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-date=January 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107234636/http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_4e3d3d98-66b3-11e7-a914-f3a66ac35577.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He runs the website ''Collative Learning''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dean|first=Rob|date=January 14, 2015|title=Read This: An exhaustive analysis of Revenge Of The Nerds|url=https://www.avclub.com/read-this-an-exhaustive-analysis-of-revenge-of-the-ner-1798275570|work=AV Club|access-date=April 8, 2021|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108100448/https://news.avclub.com/read-this-an-exhaustive-analysis-of-revenge-of-the-ner-1798275570|url-status=live}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ager, Rob}} Category:British film critics Category:British film historians Category:People from Liverpool Category:1973 births Category:Living people