The Thirteenth Floor

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Genres - Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller  |   Sub-Genres - Tech Noir  |   Release Date - May 28, 1999 (USA)  |   Run Time - 101 min.  |   Countries - Germany, United States  |   MPAA Rating - R
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Review by Adam Goldberg

The Thirteenth Floor is a hyper-stylish science fiction thriller that melds film noir with concepts from The Matrix and The Truman Show. Unfortunately, the intriguing ideas presented during the narrative are cheapened by uneven performances, canned dialogue, and sluggish pacing. Loosely based on Daniel Galouye's '60s sci-fi novel Simulacron 3, this is another example of the increasingly popular "virtual reality" genre. Director Josef Rusnak proves that he can recreate an impeccably detailed 1930's Los Angeles and a fashionable, present-day L.A. But the well-produced visuals don't trick the audience into forgetting that the characters are extremely two-dimensional and undeveloped. In fact, the characterization is so flat and the pacing so slow that viewers will have a difficult time connecting and caring about the cast. Instead of presenting a new take on the increasingly popular "What is reality?" film, this seems like a desperate attempt to cash in on movies like Dark City and eXistenZ. While the story may be mildly entertaining for sci-fi fanatics, most audiences certainly won't be floored by The Thirteenth Floor.