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Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten ... see more see more... , Brock Peters , John Barclay , Whit Bissell , Jan Bradley , Cyril Delevanti , John Dennis , Jane Dulo , Morgan Farley , Tim Herbert , Cheri Howell , Roy Jenson , Paula Kelly , Lincoln Kilpatrick , Celia Lovsky , Belle Mitchell , Leonard Stone , Dick Van Patten , Joyce Williams , Forrest G. Wood , Stephen Young , Mike Henry (I) , Carlos Romero , Erica Hagen , Faith Quabius , Beverly Gill

Richard Fleischer directed this nightmarish science fiction vision of an over-populated world, based on the novel by Harry Harrison. In 2022, New York City is a town bursting at the seams with a 40-mi... read more read more...llion-plus population. Food is in short supply, and most of the population's food source comes from synthetics manufactured in local factories -- the dinner selections being a choice between Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green. When William Simonson (Joseph Cotten), an upper-echelon executive in the Soylent Company, is found murdered, police detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is sent in to investigate the case. Helping him out researching the case is Thorn's old friend Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson, in his final film role). As they investigate the environs of a succession of mad-from-hunger New Yorkers and the luxuriously rich digs of the lucky few, Thorn uncovers the terrible truth about the real ingredients of Soylent Green. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Flixster Users

70% liked it

21,819 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

34 critics

PG, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Richard Fleischer

Release Date: May 9, 1973

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DVD Release Date: August 5, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (1,980)

  • garyX
    February 28, 2012
    garyX
    In a near future where the world is vastly over-populated and nature's resources have become decimated, a cop investigating the murder of a rich executive uncovers his globe-spanning uber-corporation's dirty little secret. Soylent Green is clearly a victim of its own reputation a... read mores its almost inevitable that you will already know how it ends, which removes the shocking revelation that would have provided the punchline to the story. As it stands, the film is surprisingly accurate in its predictions and is one of the first corporate conspiracy theory stories to reach the big screen; it is also one of the first to marry the styles of Film Noir and science fiction. The problems lie in its rather dated and cheap looking visual effects and rather workmanlike, TV quality direction. I would also have to say that with the exception of Edward G. Robinson's ageing bookworm, none of the cast are particularly likeable; Heston comes across as a selfish and corrupt asshole and women in this future society are nothing more than "furniture" - essentially live-in prostitutes. Worth a watch if you are one of the few who haven't absorbed the big plot twist through cultural osmosis but otherwise it's little more than a dated curiosity.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    September 24, 2011
    DragonEyeMorrison
    No idea why this movie gets so much bad reviews these days, sure, it's the "future" with people wearing 70s haircuts and clothes, big fucking surprise. The message is blunt, but still effective, and while the detective parts of the story don't go anywhere seeing the characters en... read morejoying such mundane things that we take as granted today are fascinating to watch. Enjoy your apples, steaks and alcohol, you might not see them in the future.
  • kiriyamakazou
    May 7, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    A dark and disturbing look at a future that may surface, though hopefully not in the next 11 years as the film suggests. Heston is a police officer in an overcrowded world. Food is but a luxury as people are fed Soylent products. There's a wonderful scene in which Heston steals a... read more number of items from the home of a murder victim. They are common everyday things, but the film creates such an emotional intensity about them, Robinson breaks down into tears at the thought of meat. Taylor-Young plays one of the most tragic love interests in cinematic history. She's referred to as "furniture" as she comes with the apartment, a choice of living for many attractive women, as they get to live with the wealthy and experience rare items. Looking through time, this is something that rings true on a terrifying scale. Like many of Heston's pieces, it mixes B-Movie charm with social commentary. Many will know the twist, as did I, but when the final line of dialog rings out it really shocks.
  • animegirlaya
    May 6, 2011
    animegirlaya
    Directed by Richard Fleischer and Starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Joseph Cotten, Brock Peters and Paula Kelly.

    I was one of the very few people who had never really ever heard of the ending before...And how shocked it left people. But is Soylent Green all too tru... read moree? I mean is this type of scenario going to be happening by 2022? I mean Overpopulation...War...Pollution...Devastation of the world's eco-system...Etc?
    But the way our way of life is at the moment I am not really all that shocked if Soylent Green was some type of film sending us a message about the extreme dangers of Over-Population and too be fair I am not surprised if the ending was to come real.

    Robert Thorn is a detective living in New York City in 2022 with the city's population at over 40,000 million people with a boss of a major production company has been murder with him on the case, but he might have just entered what is the biggest human conspiracy in the future.

    Again I had never heard of the ending before and when I found out I could not stop saying WTF.

    84% for Story: Very well told and very well put together this Sci-fi/Disaster movie and the mystery elements are awesome despite some of the films short comings.

    96% for Acting: I think this is the films biggest strong point, and one of Charlton Heston's best performances by far and really the whole film is full of great and brilliant acting...Minus our lead female who was just annoying near the end.

    90% for Special Effects: The films visuals show a major bleak and dark society that one cannot simply explain.

    85% for everything else: Some impressive shots showing the set construction made to look like a futuristic NYC.

    Though it's a pretty solid Mystery film and it will be one that might likely never be forgotten for a long (Even more the ending).

    Keiko's score 87-100
  • ajv2688
    December 29, 2010
    ajv2688
    A fantastic post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror movie, I love it! I highly recommend this movie, even if you know the ending.
  • ythelastman89
    July 14, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Had I seen this movie when it was released, it might ave had the effect it has on so many people. Sadly, it's the worst kept ending in movie history. I really love the look of the movie, it's beautifully shot and looks pretty believable for a 70s look into the future. However, i'... read morem not the biggest Charlton Heston fan so seeing him go crazy isn't exactly something I look forward to. It's an interesting enough premise to hold your attention, but I don't feel it's an essential part of Sci-Fi history.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    May 6, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    It is the year 2022 and nothing has changed even if things have gotten worse. New York City has become even more overpopulated and is just yet another city heaving in its own filth with countless "have-nots" fighting over sparse resources. Energy supplies are low, water is strict... read morely controlled, living spaces are small and cramped and "real" food is a luxury reserved for the very rich. The masses do not have such luxuries and eat rationed supplies of high-nutrient processed foods from the Soylent Corporation. Detective Thorn is a "have-not" and just like everyone else is out to get what he can for himself and friend Sol Roth. Called to a burglary that became a murder, Thorn learns that the victim is a director at Soylent and suspects that all the curious thing about the crimes may be coming together to be far more than the work of some random thug.

    Famous for its "shock" ending (which everyone must know and most people will guess) this film is actually more than just one scene and is actually an intelligent sci-fi detective story that has an engaging central story and a generally interesting vision of the future that is much more convincing than the one of Hollywood blockbusters and such. The investigation is solid but it is the world it happens within that is most interesting as we see a world where, surprise surprise, the poor people are left to make do while those better off can still enjoy the finer things while they remain. It is not an earth shattering view of the future but it is a convincing one and I enjoyed being in this story and seeing this world played out. Personally I bought it but it may help that I mistrust corporations anyway and believe that the poor will be the first to get shafted when anything bad happens, simply because they have less to work with.

    The narrative is not the strongest though and in terms of it being a detective story it could have been better. Some viewers have complained about the lack of action, which I think is a pretty unfair accusation since it wasn't trying to be that type of film. The main characters are interesting. Thorn is a man of authority but he is just like everyone else, out to get what he can and takes advantage of others the first chance he gets. His relationship with Roth is not fully explained but it worked anyway and provided a touch of humanity. It helps that both actors did good jobs of it as well. Heston normally plays the gruff hero but here at least he allows the corruption within man's heart to come out. Robinson has less of a character but his performance is assured and is touching for reasons internal and external to the film. Support is not so good but it is less important in the smaller roles; Cotton is a nice find though.

    Overall this is a famous film that is good but not without its faults. The narrative is reasonably interesting and carries the film all the way to a nice (but too well-known) conclusion but it is in the general vision of the future of a world where the people are struggling to get by with resources running low. A smart sci-fi that is well worth seeing.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    December 23, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"

    In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secre... read moret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

    REVIEW

    "Soylent Green" is one of the best and most disturbing science fiction movies of the 70's and still very persuasive even by today's standards. Although flawed and a little dated, the apocalyptic touch and the environmental premise (typical for that time) still feel very unsettling and thought-provoking. This film's quality-level surpasses the majority of contemporary sci-fi flicks because of its strong cast and some intense sequences that I personally consider classic. The New York of 2022 is a depressing place to be alive, with over-population, unemployment, an unhealthy climate and the total scarcity of every vital food product. The only form of food available is synthetic and distributed by the Soylent company. Charlton Heston (in a great shape) plays a cop investigating the murder of one of Soylent's most eminent executives and he stumbles upon scandals and dark secrets. The script is a little over-sentimental at times and the climax doesn't really come as a big surprise, still the atmosphere is very tense and uncanny. The riot-sequence is truly grueling and easily one of the most macabre moments in 70's cinema. Edward G. Robinson is ultimately impressive in his last role and there's a great (but too modest) supportive role for Joseph Cotten. This is Science-Fiction in my book: a nightmarish and inevitable fade for humanity! No fancy space-ships with hairy monsters attacking our planet.
  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    Edward G. Robinson steals the show in this classic, albeit dated, sci-fi vision of the future film. Ikea needs to improve its furniture ;o) SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!
  • DrZeek
    December 28, 2007
    DrZeek
    Sol: There was a world, once, you punk.
    Det. Thorn: Yes, so you keep telling me.
    Sol: I was there. I can prove it.
    Det. Thorn: I know, I know. When you were young, people were better.
    Sol: Aw, nuts. People were always rotten. But the world 'was' beautiful.

    This is a pretty neat... read more sci-fi story from the 70s, with some ironic ideas of how the future is supposed to be as well as a twist that is so good that its a shame that most people will know it before seeing this movie.

    My three favorite bad asses made these 60s and 70s movies involving action, sci-fi, or crime. They were Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen and Charlton Heston. Here we have Heston starring as Thorn, a detective in New York 2022, investigating a murder case.

    The future is overcrowded, facing impossible odds due to greenhouse gases affecting most of the atmosphere, making the environment much warmer, limiting the use of fresh produce and other luxuries.

    Thorn lives among these "poorer" people, but has to investigate the rich guys. He lives in an apartment in the slums with his old friend Sol, played very well by the awesome Edward G. Robinson in his last role, where he was literally dying while making this movie.

    As Thorn makes his way through the case, evidence leads to a shocking discover that provides the ending climactic and famous lines.

    I was surprised how much I liked this movie. I was very involved with the story, and finding a lot of elements involving the "future" ironic, as well as enjoying Heston bad assing his way around New York.

    Cool 70s sci-fi flick.

    Det. Thorn: He'll like you. You're a helluva piece of furniture.
    Shirl: Don't talk to me like that. Please.
    Det. Thorn: OK.

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Critic Reviews

June 5, 2007
Variety

The somewhat plausible and proximate horrors in the story of Soylent Green carry the production over its awkward spots to the status of a good futuristic exploitation film. Full Review

Don Druker
June 5, 2007
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

Uneven and slightly muddled futuristic horror story -- not really science fiction, more like an antipollution PSA gone berserk. Full Review

A.H. Weiler
May 9, 2005
A.H. Weiler, New York Times

Their 21st-century New York occasionally is frightening but it is rarely convincingly real. Full Review

Walter Chaw
June 20, 2011
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

Not well thought-out and a genuine disappointment for all its visibility in the popular conversation Full Review

Sean Axmaker
April 1, 2011
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com

Where so many science fiction visions of the era have dated, this gritty creation of a depressed (and depressing) future... looks all the more real. Full Review

John J. Puccio
September 14, 2009
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...a movie based on an ending. And if you can't figure out that ending ten minutes into the movie, you aren't paying attention. Full Review

Douglas Pratt
June 15, 2007
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser

The film was a typical seventies sci-fi effort, scientifically illiterate and unimaginatively composed.

June 5, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A sluggishly directed look at life and death in the 21st century. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 9, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Modestly entertaining. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Good, solid stuff, assembled efficiently enough to be pretty persuasive. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Detective Thorn: I can't figure this Simonson. If I was like him. Rich. Important... ...plenty to eat... ...real bourbon... ...and a girl like you... ...you wouldn't see me in church.
    • Sol Roth: There was a world, once, you punk.
    • Detective Thorn: Yes, so you keep telling me.
    • Sol Roth: I was there. I can prove it.
    • Detective Thorn: I know, I know. When you were young, people were better.
    • Sol Roth: Aw, nuts. People were always rotten. But the world 'was' beautiful.
    • Detective Thorn: Soylent Green is People!!!!
  • The Soylent Company named its synthetic 'food-for-the-masses' by combining the names of its 2 main ingredients:
    SOYbeans & LENTils.

    Of course, no mention was made of the key 3rd ingredient!!
  • "Soylent Green is PEOPLE!!!!"

    This is one of my all-time favourite film quotes.
    There are very few that can beat it.
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Soylent Green Trivia

  • What is the food source Soylent Green made from?  Answer »
  • What is the title of the book "Soylent Green" was based upon?  Answer »
  • In the movie "Soylent Green" what was soylent green made from?  Answer »
  • What was the title of the 1973 futuristic Sci-fi thriller that focused on food shortage in New York City?  Answer »
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