THX 1138

Name: THX 1138
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: March 11, 1971
Duration: 86 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Donald Pleasence, Robert Duvall

1971

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: March 11, 1971 | R

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Robert Duvall

Summary: LUH 3417, a disenchanted surveillance worker, consciously stops taking her mandatory drugs — medication that suppresses emotions — and gives placebos to her roommate, THX 1138. Now free to feel, the two fall in love, but find themselves on the run for breaking laws of conformity.

Director: George Lucas

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 86 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mark Bell

Enough about the CGI tweaking, is this film really Lucas's unloved masterpiece? The film that got lost in the shadow of "American Graffitti" and "Star Wars" while, actually, being a better film? Read full review

Desson Thomson

Testament to the emergence of a visually masterful filmmaker, capable of ingenious, low-tech special effects. Read full review

Peter Hartlaub

A nice gift for science fiction fans. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The movie's strength is not in its story but in its unsettling and weirdly effective visual and sound style. (Review of Original Release) Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

The surprising thing about George Lucas's first feature (1971), a dystopian SF parable now digitally enhanced and expanded by five minutes, is how arty it seems compared to his later movies. Read full review

Marc Mohan

It's not a question of Lucas' right to revamp his own work -- the movie simply was much better without these absurd additions. Read full review

William Arnold

Reportedly, Lucas has been tinkering with this "director's cut" for nearly two years, so its sound and visual elements -- which were fairly impressive to begin with -- have been markedly enhanced, while new digital backgrounds give the film a more epic scale. Still, it's an extraordinarily unengaging and tedious affair. Read full review

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User Reviews

howitzer

Jan 23, 2011

I loved this movie and it's new additions. I think it's great that Lucas can now touch up his films in the way that he invisioned them originally... with the latest special effects. It's not over the top, the new additions are quick and blend in nicely adding to the sense of this futureI loved this movie and it's new additions. I think it's great that Lucas can now touch up his films in the way that he invisioned them originally... with the latest special effects. It's not over the top, the new additions are quick and blend in nicely adding to the sense of this future world THX lives in. Sure the originals are good but now they're better... ask any young lad experiencing them for the first time. What I enjoy most of this film and others like it is the lack of dialoge. The real world doesn't explain everything to it's viewers, that you have to figure out for yourselves and it's not that difficult... well at least not for most. Instead it leaves our attention to stunning and beautiful cinematography, incredible audio and the very bright but dark vision of a big brother world.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

aurora1

Jul 19, 2015

I watched THX 1138 in the 70s, when I was a teenager, and I deeply loved it. It has been one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies ever, a love at first sight that had a big part in molding me into the huge fan of dystopian scenarios I am today. A love that lasted for 40 years, until I happened toI watched THX 1138 in the 70s, when I was a teenager, and I deeply loved it. It has been one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies ever, a love at first sight that had a big part in molding me into the huge fan of dystopian scenarios I am today. A love that lasted for 40 years, until I happened to watch the Director's Cut version: what a disappointment! I frankly don't understand why George Lucas wanted to change something so perfect. Especially the ending scene, when THX faces the shell dwellers: have the monkeys escaped from Planet of the Apes? Some leftover of Aliens that couldn't be employed anywhere else? Ridiculous. A restoration shouldn't make a movie look worse. My rate only refers to the 1971 version.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

oliver1h

Jul 15, 2013

One of the best dystopian movies out there. Great performances from Duvall, also a realistic and "beautifully"(or horrifyingly) realised world. One of the forgotten gems of science-fiction dystopian fiction!!! I can understand the low reviews, because this movie requires "brains" to enjoy.One of the best dystopian movies out there. Great performances from Duvall, also a realistic and "beautifully"(or horrifyingly) realised world. One of the forgotten gems of science-fiction dystopian fiction!!! I can understand the low reviews, because this movie requires "brains" to enjoy. George Lucas best work in my opinion. Very recommended!!!… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Idontcaredoyou

Apr 21, 2021

A great film from a brilliant young film maker named George Lucas ruined decades later by a much lesser film maker named George Lucas. CGI monkeys? Really? Why?
Let's just hope he's never able to buy the rights to anyone else's movies. I'd hate to see CGI monkeys in Casablanca but have noA great film from a brilliant young film maker named George Lucas ruined decades later by a much lesser film maker named George Lucas. CGI monkeys? Really? Why?
Let's just hope he's never able to buy the rights to anyone else's movies. I'd hate to see CGI monkeys in Casablanca but have no doubt that George would think its a good idea since they are just as out of place in this move as they would be in that one.
First he gives you fun childhood memories and then he destroys them.
Like putting a modern engine in a classic car it ruins what was once a piece of art and history. But hey, you got monkeys!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JayH.

Dec 2, 2008

Overrated, just because George Lucas had something to do with it doesn't make it good. It's cold and aloof, poor character development. I never cared what happened to any of the characters. It has some imagination, good photography but the film is lifeless.

1 of 2 users found this helpful

beeanadou

Aug 16, 2019

Intended to be 1984 but did not explain the core issues in this world and merely pop out meaningless numbers. No better than most college students' homework film.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JaredC.

Sep 12, 2007

The thing about this is that it goes somewhere, but only leads to the already known succession. Nothing special besides the mastering of digital arts happens in this dull feeling bore. It takes so little time in the creating of the technology that it is way over the top and light hearted. The thing about this is that it goes somewhere, but only leads to the already known succession. Nothing special besides the mastering of digital arts happens in this dull feeling bore. It takes so little time in the creating of the technology that it is way over the top and light hearted. Its an unappreciative film that shows the storyline of a director's heart in improving things, but his performance leading towards his character goes no where, it is hard to find the character by the neutral appearance of George Lucas' character. Only if the movie was 2 hours long I would respect this, but because of the quick but bad tasting plot, it sucks, you have to expect something when George Lucas writes and directs the movie. And this is not his style, I cannot see how George Lucas made such an unrelatied style to the way he directed Star Wars. I am not happy with this film, not happy. And that means something about this film you know, with all these high ratings it seems to be that the film is a very very very very very flawless movie, the way I see it. its hard to like, it is a letdown, it isn't disappointing because I've waited so long for a dumb movie, but its that I got a bad view of how George Lucas did it. I would rather have been their seeing how he really made THX, not watch what he thinks would be best for his success, you know there is so much more to just showing importance, its the idea (which is great), the acting, the performance by every involving filmmaker. This movie never tries but fails by how movies never should be made as, this just shows what George Lucas thinks what makes his important role in history is, not a movie for entertainment.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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