During the last couple of months I have played a lot of Grand Theft Auto 5. It is a beautiful looking game which creates a very convincing world. People drive their cars, do their daily business, cinemas play movies, celebrity bus tours drive around, there is a huge number of details, many which I’ll probably never notice/run into. The game allows you to switch between three characters at any moment and if you are not playing with the other two they will just do their own things. Although this is a game it made me wonder at times how these characters would experience me taking control or the impact my actions would have on random passers-by. I basically wondered how real their world would feel for them. It is a subject which has been explored in movies. The Matrix is probably the most famous example, but Existenz and Dark City also deal with it. The Thirteenth Floor is also a very interesting take and actually close to what I was thinking about while playing GTA5.
The story is about computer scientist Hannon Fuller (wonderfully played by Armin Mueller-Stahl) who has created a simulation of a virtual world. Using a special bay he can go into this world and interact with it (think kind of like Star Trek’s holodeck). He is discovering something in this world which he wants to share with his close colleague Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko), but before he can he is murdered. It is up to Douglas to find out what Fuller discovered and who is responsible for his murder.
Although this movie does not have the special effects something like the Matrix does it effectively makes use of simple means to portay believable technology. The bay in which you can be transported into the virtual world is lit by lasers, making it visually pleasing. The Thirteenth Floor is able to very quickly set up a believable world where you do not question the technology. The twenties are brought to life with a lot of period cars and costumes.
As this is murder mystery you are constantly trying to solve who might be responsible. Some might already guess early on as the clues are there, but it took me a while. The questions the movie asks about what is real to the created characters I found very interesting. It’s not a movie I had heard a lot about, but it is a movie definitely worth checking out if it’s new to you, especially if you are into science fiction movies.
Never even heard of this film, but you make we want to see it. Where did you find it? On DVD or a Netflix-like service?
Well, I heard it being mentioned in a podcast and its concept sounded extremely interesting. It was available on DVD, so I saw it that way (I know it’s also out on Blu Ray).
Thanks for that review Nostra. I liked the parallel with GTA V – so I think I’ll try and find this movie
Thanks Jon, hope you will find it and like it as much as I did.
Such an underrated film – it was buried by the hype of The Matrix that year, and kinda got lost in the rush. A largely forgotten gem, really. I must give this another shot at some point.
I never heard of it at the time so you are right about it being buried away which is a shame. One that is worth watching again, I agree.