An homage to old film-noir, ‘The Universal Theory‘ tells a sci-fi story with a classic presentation. The film follows a talented young physicist as he tries to uncover the mystery surrounding a series of mysterious deaths in the Swiss Alps, told in a classic Hitchcockian film-noir style by director Timm Kröger (The Council of Birds).
‘The Universal Theory’ had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion.
Starring in the film are Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, and Gottfried Breitfuss.
Release Date
Directed by Timm Kröger, ‘The Universal Theory’ opens in New York (Quad Cinema) on September 27, 2024 and Los Angeles (Laemmle Royal) on October 11, 2024
Synopsis
Set in 1962 at a quantum mechanics conference in an isolated lodge nestled amid the towering landscapes of the Swiss Alps, ‘The Universal Theory’ is the story of a gifted young physicist, his curmudgeonly mentor, and an enigmatic jazz pianist who knows things about our wunderkind scientist that he’s never told another living soul. German director Timm Kröger—himself also a cinematographer—films his tale with an eye for the majestic natural beauty that surrounds our characters, effectively evoking the paranoid postwar era. Driven by astonishing twists and improbable coincidences, ‘The Universal Theory’ unravels a captivatingly complex chronicle with brain-tickling suspense.
“The Universal Theory is a film about physics, inspiration, false memories, real dreams, and the ghosts that lurk behind what we call ‘our story’.” said director Timm Kröger about the film.
Reviews
Stephanie Bunbury in a Deadline Hollywood review praised the film, writing, “[The Universal Theory] presents a world in itself, appropriately enough, that many people will not want to enter, in the same way that many of us really don’t want to put ourselves through a ride on the Mad Mouse.”
Jessica Kiang in a Variety review wrote, “An overlong but enjoyable metaphysical thriller that delivers pastiche so meticulous it becomes its own source of supremely cinematic pleasure.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘The Universal Theory’.