The Thirteenth Floor

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: May 28, 1999

2.8	USER SCORE Generally unfavorable reviews based on 157 Ratings

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User Reviews

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shiftworkerNov 30, 2016

Crime. Dull 90s murder plot with a bit of sci-fi thrown in. Seems really dated now, with TV movie quality. Gave up after half an hour. Not the worst film I've seen this year, but the worst one that I can find on Metacritic

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

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NicoDaFlagburnaJan 30, 2011

Unbelievably nonchalant in it's approach to existence and has none of the power exhibited by 'The Lawnmower Man'. It's simply uninspiring and feels like a real cold attempt at being daring or unique. All I could understand was how sarcasticUnbelievably nonchalant in it's approach to existence and has none of the power exhibited by 'The Lawnmower Man'. It's simply uninspiring and feels like a real cold attempt at being daring or unique. All I could understand was how sarcastic this idea felt and that how the director has made a film that is inconsiderate to audience expectations. There is so little intelligence, flair or creativity on show that the good visuals are undermined. 40/100… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

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Tss5078Feb 22, 2013

The Thirteenth Floor was Columbia Pictures answer to the Matrix and is based on the award winning 1964 Sci-Fi novel, Simulacron 3 by Daniel Galouye. I have known about this movie for a long time, but was always hesitant to see it, becauseThe Thirteenth Floor was Columbia Pictures answer to the Matrix and is based on the award winning 1964 Sci-Fi novel, Simulacron 3 by Daniel Galouye. I have known about this movie for a long time, but was always hesitant to see it, because when something like this appears in theaters 6 months after a groundbreaking film like the Matrix, you fully expect it to be a complete rip off. I was sitting at home flipping through the channels and saw the Matrix on, but I didn't wanna see it for the millionth time and decided to see if the Thirteenth Floor was streaming and sure it enough it was, and what a terrific story it turned out to be! In the year 2000, scientists have found a way to transfer a persons consciousness into a fully interactive computer program which has the potential to replace video games. The creator however has discovered a major problem with the system and is found dead. The second in charge of the project soon learns the answer to this brutal murder appears in the simulator, which is a replica of 1937. The story is absolutely ingenious and I loved how the film jumps between present day and the 1930s, it was like watching two stories at once that you knew would eventually come together. Craig Bierko stars in what turns out to be one of his few leading roles and he's just terrific. I remember him as the bad guy in the Long Kiss Goodnight and I thought he was great then, and he's great now. To make the cast even stronger, they take the intense Bierko and pair him with Law Order's Vincent D'Onofrio, who is quite possibly the most intense actor in Hollywood. To top the whole thing off, this movie has a huge twist in the end, a twist that will make a lot of people wonder about the true nature of their own reality. The Thirteenth Floor is a fresh story with an amazing cast that will make you think, movies like this don't come along as often as they should!… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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KoKoJieAug 22, 2011

Excellent sci-fi film, its ideas pre-date The Matrix and Inception. Multi-level reality and simulated worlds. I really liked this film, also the 1937 setting is excellent and well done.

4 of 10 users found this helpful46

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StaticSpineNov 7, 2013

A Sci-Fi thriller about time traveling and virtual realities. The strongest advantage of this movie is it's plot, it's complex, BUT not mind-bending and also the main details are well-explained, there is no mess and it's easy to figure thingsA Sci-Fi thriller about time traveling and virtual realities. The strongest advantage of this movie is it's plot, it's complex, BUT not mind-bending and also the main details are well-explained, there is no mess and it's easy to figure things out. The main disadvantage is the low budgetness: the visual effects are average, the actors are decent, but non of them are well-known. Summing up, we have a nice Sci-Fi movie.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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Mike191Dec 21, 2005

Really engaging.

1 of 3 users found this helpful

DuraznitoJul 21, 2018

Yo solamente voy a decir que para ser de 1999 el final es muy bueno, no se por que hay tantas malas reviews, lo que si les acepto es que la película no envejeció tan bien, ademas en ese mismo año salio matrix y bueno, nada que decir, peroYo solamente voy a decir que para ser de 1999 el final es muy bueno, no se por que hay tantas malas reviews, lo que si les acepto es que la película no envejeció tan bien, ademas en ese mismo año salio matrix y bueno, nada que decir, pero mala no es, tampoco es espectacular, esta buena para ser ciencia ficcion… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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eva3si0nSep 12, 2021

The Thirteen Floor is an excellent example of the fact that only a concept is enough for sci-fi, without its logical explanation. Still, if you try to logically explain The Thirteen Floor, you will certainly see holes. Alas, the plot of theThe Thirteen Floor is an excellent example of the fact that only a concept is enough for sci-fi, without its logical explanation. Still, if you try to logically explain The Thirteen Floor, you will certainly see holes. Alas, the plot of the film also falls apart as the logic of what is happening. And in general, this is a good sci-fi film, if not for one thing but - in the same 1999 Matrix was released, which had the same idea and it was logically explained.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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HellHoleHorrorFeb 15, 2022

This is the type of head-f**k film that you need to watch twice. Although having now watched it twice I think that you should only ever watch it once – a lot is lost on the second viewing. It is confusing but when you get your head around theThis is the type of head-f**k film that you need to watch twice. Although having now watched it twice I think that you should only ever watch it once – a lot is lost on the second viewing. It is confusing but when you get your head around the concept it becomes very interesting and pertinent. One problem though is that this kind of film will date badly. It already looks a bit preposterous in some ways. Possibly that was deliberate as nothing is tangible. Or should that be nothing is intangible? Just want to confirm that the effects look cheesy but overall it is fine to watch – the camerawork was a touch static – I do like that jittery new style. Apart from the strong thoughts that I cannot get out of my head I would still say how powerful this exploration into our mind's reality is. A little more action and graphical effects would have been nice although this is only a minor gripe. It is possibly a bit predictable too but not a long way in advance. Made me think a little too much possibly, I may unravel the mystery... The tacked-on love story is stupid but the premise is clever and gripping.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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