Soylent Green
A murder investigation in an overcrowded, polluted 2022 New York uncovers the secret behind the food wafers that keep the city alive.
Where to watch online
Official services. The link goes straight to this film.
Availability data by JustWatch
About the film
It's the year 2022. People are still the same. They'll do anything to get what they need. And they need Soylent Green.
What it’s about
In 2022, New York City holds over 40 million people. Pollution has triggered a greenhouse effect, wiping out most water, animals, and vegetation. To feed the masses, the Soylent corporation produces colored food wafers. Detective Thorn investigates the killing of a Soylent board member, a trail that leads him to the factory and the hidden truth behind the green wafers.
What hooks you
The film won the Saturn Award in 1975. It is based on Harry Harrison's novel "Make Room! Make Room!" The cast includes Charlton Heston as Detective Thorn, Leigh Taylor-Young as Shirl, and Chuck Connors as Tab Fielding. The catalogue notes that the final chase scene was shot without dialogue, per screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg's wish to avoid an action-film feel.
Who it’s for
It is worth a look for anyone who likes detective stories with a paranoid, dystopian edge, where the investigation uncovers a horrifying social secret. It will appeal to those drawn to tales of environmental collapse, overpopulation, and the dark underside of corporate solutions.
- Country
- United States
- Year
- 1973
- Genres
- Detective, Thriller, Crime, Science Fiction
- Running time
- 1h 37min
- Age rating
- 12+
- MPAA
- PG
- World premiere
- Apr 18, 1973
×0.9box office to budget
Ratings
MOVIE․ONE · 669 votesCreative team
All 9
Trivia
- The film is based on the novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison.
- During filming, Edward G. Robinson (1893-1973) was already almost completely deaf. He could only hear if something was said directly into his ear. Scenes of his conversations with other people had to be reshot several times until he finally caught the rhythm of the dialogue. When director Richard Fleischer (1916-2006) gave the command "Cut!", Robinson often did not hear him and continued to play the scene out of inertia.
- The chase scene at the end of the film was shot without any lines or dialogue, because the screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg (1927-2002) did not want it to turn into an action film. Moreover, the contract specifically stated that, beyond what was written in the script, no lines or dialogue could be added to the film (or removed during editing, for that matter).
- When Thorn, played by Charlton Heston (1923-2008), learns that he failed to prevent the suicide of Sol Roth (played by Robinson), he begins to cry. According to a 1997 interview with Robert Osborne, Heston really did cry - he was so shaken by Robinson's performance. Robinson himself already knew he had cancer, but kept it secret from the other actors and crew members. He also knew that this was his last film. He died ten days after filming ended.
Awards and nominations
1 win
- 1 win Saturn Awards
- Golden Scroll - Best Science Fiction Film Saturn Awards · 1975
Reviews
0Similar
-
7.1
What Happened to Monday
-
6.5
Blindness
-
7.3
Dark City
-
6.2
Lifeforce
-
7.6
Twelve Monkeys
-
6.8
Demolition Man
-
6.4
The Number 23
-
5.8
God Told Me To
-
6.7
The Boys from Brazil
-
6.0
The Woman in the Window
No one has written about this yet
The first piece about “Soylent Green” takes this spot. An analysis, an essay, a personal story — whatever suits you.
- 01It appears right here, on the page everyone looking for this title opens.
- 02Your name and a link to your profile go with it.
- 03The editor already knows which title it is about — just start with the first line.
- 04Your first article earns the “First article” badge on your profile.
Share
Soylent Green (1973)
Soylent Green
1973
Soylent Green
1973
Soylent Green
1973