THX 1138 (1971)
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In a dystopian future where emotions are suppressed by mandatory drugs, a man's life is upended when he begins to experience forbidden feelings.
The story
In a dystopian future, the population is controlled by android police and forced to consume drugs that suppress emotions and feelings. Citizens are identified by alphanumeric codes rather than names, and the state enforces strict uniformity. The story follows THX 1138, a worker in a factory producing android police officers. His life changes when his roommate, LUH, secretly replaces his sedatives with different pills, causing him to experience forbidden emotions and physical desires. As THX begins to question the status quo and experiences a forbidden romance with LUH, he faces the consequences of his non-compliance in a society designed to eliminate individuality.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a dystopian society where reproduction is prohibited and drugs are mandatory to ensure compliance, THX 1138 lives a life of uniformity. His life changes when his roommate LUH secretly swaps his sedatives, leading to a forbidden romance. After a period of non-compliance, THX is arrested and undergoes medical analysis. He is eventually sentenced to prison alongside his acquaintance SEN. During an escape attempt, they are joined by a hologram actor, SRT. After a chaotic chase involving a car crash and a pursuit by android police, THX learns that LUH has been 'consumed' and her identity reassigned to her fetus. THX eventually escapes the underground city and climbs to the surface, where he witnesses the sun setting for the first time.
- First release year
- 1971
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Lucas
- Writers
- George Lucas · screenplay; Walter Murch · screenplay; George Lucas · story
- Cast and characters
- Robert Duvall · THX 1138; Donald Pleasence · SEN 5241; Maggie McOmie · LUH 3417; Don Pedro Colley · SRT 5752; Ian Wolfe · PTO
- Genres
- social science fiction; dystopian
- Themes
- dystopian society; surveillance; technology vs. humanity; loss of individuality
- Tone and mood
- oppressively dystopian; haunting
- Premise and plot tags
- sci-fi; dystopia; androids; mind control
- Source material / true-story basis
- Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB
- Content notes
- sexuality/nudity
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics initially but has since gained a cult following and critical acclaim as a haunting sci-fi experiment.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 127; Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100
- Awards and nominations
- Cannes Film Festival · International Federation of Film Critics · 1971 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was developed from a 1967 student film.; The title THX 1138 was based on George Lucas's telephone number.; The script included excerpts from speeches by Richard Nixon.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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