The Thirteenth Floor
The Thirteenth Floor

The Thirteenth Floor

1999Movie100 minEnglish

In Los Angeles, a wealthy man, known as Mr. Fuller, discovers a shocking secret about the world he lives in. Fearing for his life, he leaves a desperate message for a friend of his in the most unexpected place.

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Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes35%
Metacritic54/100
Google Users65%
Director: Josef RusnakGenres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Summary

In 1999 Los Angeles, computer programmer Douglas Hall and his business partner, Jerry Ashton, are on the verge of completing a groundbreaking virtual reality simulation of 1937 Los Angeles. When Ashton is found murdered, Douglas becomes the prime suspect. As Douglas delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a conspiracy that blurs the lines between reality and simulation, forcing him to question his own existence.

Critical Reception

The Thirteenth Floor received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised its ambitious concept and thought-provoking themes, particularly its exploration of reality and consciousness, many found its execution to be derivative of other films like The Matrix and Blade Runner. The plot was often criticized for being convoluted and predictable, though the performances were generally considered solid.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its intriguing science fiction premise and philosophical questions about reality.
  • Criticized for being too similar to other, more successful films in the genre.
  • The plot was often seen as convoluted and difficult to follow, despite its potential.

Google audience: Audience reviews are somewhat divided. Many appreciated the film's ambitious ideas and the twist ending, finding it a compelling sci-fi mystery. However, a significant portion of viewers felt the film was too slow, confusing, and lacked the excitement and originality they expected from a virtual reality thriller.

Fun Fact

The film was released just weeks after the similarly themed, and more successful, 'The Matrix', leading to comparisons and accusations of stolen ideas, despite both films being based on the same source material, 'Simulacron-3'.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
Dr_Nostromo

Dr_Nostromo

79/100 A software engineer connects into a virtual reality simulation, created by his boss, to discover who murdered said boss. This was quite fascinating for a film I never really paid attention to before. The concepts are quite heady a...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

"Fuller" (Armin Mueller-Stahl) needs to share the news of his ground-breaking discovery with his partner 'Hall" (Craig Bierko) but is wary that he isn't safe. He decides that the best precaution might be to leave a letter for him and deposi...
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

It's kind of like The Matrix, It is kind of like eXistenZ...only it is also kind of neo noir, and it is far more mystery/thriller...and it...wait, not it's actually a completely different film. Let me start again... It's kind of like ...
tmdb44006625

tmdb44006625

The Thirteenth Floor has an amazing premise and some great ideas. Shame that it's also mired by terrible dialogue, B-movie plotting, and a cheap looking production. Blending elements of Dark City and The Matrix though never achieving the gr...