The Thirteenth Floor (Spoiler-Free) Review December 6, 2021

Yesterday, Maniac watched a video by Doug Walker where he outright begged to see a film which explores the themes of what could happen if a video game player fell in love with an NPC, and all the emotional weight that entailed. I’m writing this to tell Doug that film exists. Twenty years ago, Maniac watched a film that has stuck with him ever since he first watched it. However, he seems to be of a minority opinion about the film, as it is rarely discussed in film circles. This might be due to the fact when it released, some other films…of a more striking visual language…were also out and have since gone on to become more recognizable.

How do you know if the reality you exist in is real or a simulation? If you knew the truth for sure, what would you do with that knowledge? What if I told you these ideas are not new, and they have been explored in films other than The Matrix? I’m talking about the 1999 film The Thirteenth Floor, which combined a cyberpunk-worthy story with film noir style.

So now that you saw this review, do you want to actually see the movie? Sadly, finding a copy of it on home video has been a challenge for at least the past fifteen years, although the film can be purchased digitally. While it isn’t currently available on any streaming service, it has shifted around streaming services over the past few years, and it is likely to return to streaming at some point.

Have you seen the film? What did you think of it? Write your thoughts in the comments below.