Question reality.|Apr. 16, 1999|United States | Germany|101 Min.|R
Genre: Kids;Mystery;Reality;Romance;Science;Fiction;Thriller
Description: “The Thirteenth Floor,” released in 1999, is a gripping sci-fi thriller set in Los Angeles. The story revolves around Hannon Fuller, a visionary who owns a massive computer enterprise and has developed a groundbreaking virtual reality (VR) simulation of 1937 Los Angeles. The simulation features artificially intelligent beings unaware of their existence as computer programs. When Fuller is murdered during the initial testing phase of this VR system, his protégé and the company’s heir, Douglas Hall, becomes the prime suspect. As the evidence against him mounts, Hall begins to question his own innocence.
Under investigation by LAPD Detective Larry McBain, Hall encounters Jane Fuller, Hannon’s estranged daughter, who is involved in shutting down the VR project. Hall develops a romantic connection with her. However, when a bartender who claims to have witnessed a meeting between Hall and Fuller on the night of the murder is also killed, Hall is arrested. He is later released after Jane provides him with an alibi.
With the help of his associate Whitney, Hall attempts to uncover a message left by Fuller within the simulation. Venturing into the virtual world, Hall assumes the role of a bank clerk named John Ferguson, while Whitney appears as a bartender named Jerry Ashton. Ashton, upon reading Fuller’s message, realizes he is an artificial creation and, overwhelmed by fear and anger, tries to kill Hall. Hall narrowly escapes the simulation.
Detective McBain later reveals that Jane Fuller does not exist, as Fuller never had a daughter. Hall tracks down a woman resembling Jane, Natasha Molinaro, who works as a grocery clerk but does not recognize him. Following Fuller’s instructions, Hall tests a theory outside the VR system, driving to an unexpected location. There, he discovers that the world around him transforms into a crude wireframe model, leading him to a shocking realization: 1999 Los Angeles is itself a simulation. This revelation unravels the true nature of their reality, echoing Fuller’s cryptic message and the deeper mystery behind his death.
Cast director: Josef Rusnak
Cast actor: Craig Bierko, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Gretchen Mol, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dennis Haysbert, Steven Schub, Jeremy Roberts, Rif Hutton, Leon Rippy, Janet MacLachlan
Original name: The Thirteenth Floor