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RUNTIME
Did you know
86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
THX 1138
"The Future is here."
1971 1h 26m EN
😐
6.4
MID
★6.4TMDB · 1,124
Science FictionDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
People in the future live in a totalitarian society. A technician named THX 1138 lives a mundane life between work and taking a controlled consumption of drugs that the government uses to make puppets out of people. As THX is without drugs for the first time he has feelings for a woman and they start a secret relationship.
“The Future is here.”
Cast
Robert Duvall
THX
Donald Pleasence
SEN
Don Pedro Colley
SRT
Maggie McOmie
LUH
Ian Wolfe
PTO
Marshall Efron
TWA
Sid Haig
NCH
John Pearce
DWY
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- George Lucas
- Writers
- George Lucas, George Lucas, Walter Murch
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 3.1× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by George Lucas, shot by David Myers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor George Lucas shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence and Don Pedro Colley carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
George Lucas directs. David Myers behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. George Lucas cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
- 2Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 3Made its money back 3.1× over at the box office.
- 455 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 5Directed by George Lucas, shot by David Myers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor George Lucas shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence and Don Pedro Colley carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "The Future is here.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0066434 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 14 themes, including "prison", "mind control", "future", "computer".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- David Myers
- Original score
- Lalo Schifrin
- Editing
- George Lucas
- Costume design
- Donald Longhurst
- Stunt coordinator
- Carey Loftin
- Runtime
- 86 min · 1h 26m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $777,000
- Box office
- $2,437,000
- Return
- 314% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- IMDB
- THX 1138 (1971)
Also by
George Lucas
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- CaseyReese★ 6/10
.
- Dr Nostromo★ 9/10
87/100 In a future society, where technology watches over every aspect of the human life and is totally void of humanity, roommates THX and LUH are arrested for the crime of drug evasion and physical love. This is essentially just a chase movie but I'm fascinated by the totally unique futuristic world that one is pulled into (and surprisingly not dated after 50 years) where even those moments of humor are quite serious and your entire knowledge of human existence is simply what you've been told. Genius film and a stunning debut for George Lucas. -- DrNostromo.com
Production companies
Who made it
Warner Bros. Pictures
US
American Zoetrope
US
Key crew
- ProducerLarry Sturhahn
- EditorGeorge Lucas
- Art DirectionMichael D. Haller
- Costume DesignDonald Longhurst
- Executive ProducerFrancis Ford Coppola
- Key GripKen Phelps
- Production AssistantNick Saxton
- Assistant EditorMarcia Lucas
- Sound EditorWalter Murch
- CastingRonald Colby
- Title DesignerHal Barwood
- Assistant CameraNed Kopp
- Assistant CameraStephen Lighthill
- Property MasterTed Moehnke
- GafferWilliam Maley
- Associate ProducerEdward Folger
- Stunt CoordinatorCarey Loftin
- Location Sound RecordistLouis Yates
- Location Sound RecordistJim Manson
- Stunt DriverJohn Ward
- ContinuityLillian O. MacNeill
- Production AssistantStan Scholl
- Production AssistantGeorge Burrafato
- ThanksCaleb Deschanel
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- prison
- mind control
- future
- computer
- police
- dystopia
- drug addiction
- hearing
- totalitarian regime
- phasing
- subterranean town
- hologram
- psychological thriller
- techniscope
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2004-09-09· Guggenheim Museum in New York City, New York (The George Lucas Director's Cut)
- Theatrical (limited)2004-09-10R· The George Lucas Director's Cut
- Theatrical1971-03-11PG
- Physical1983-01-01PG· Warner Home Video #11162 [VHS] 88 minutes (Clamshell)
- Physical2004-09-14R· The George Lucas Director's Cut DVD
- Physical2010-09-07R· The George Lucas Director's Cut Blu-ray
Also known as
International titles
- L'uomo che fuggì dal futuroIT
- THX-1138US
- THX Eleven Thirty EightUS
