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The Philadelphia Experiment
1984 102 min United States of America PG 16+
★6.0
Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller
Director: Stewart Raffill
🎭 Based on
«Philadelphia Experiment»
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Description
Based on an "actual event" that took place in 1943. About a US Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and sent two men 40 years into the future to 1984.
Budget:
$9M
US Gross:
$8.1M
Worldwide:
$8.1M
Starring
Michael Paré
Actor
Nancy Allen
Actor
Eric Christmas
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1985
— Best Actress
Key opinion
The Philadelphia Experiment is viewed as a quintessential 80s B-movie relic that balances an intriguing high-concept premise against dated execution. While some audiences value it as a nostalgic cult classic with a solid core plot, many others find the production quality, acting, and narrative logic to be unconvincing by modern standards.
| Acting | Michael Paré delivers a memorable, career-defining performance that anchors the film for its core fanbase | |
| Production | The special effects are widely considered crude and dated, failing to meet the standards required for the film's ambitious visual sequences | |
| Screenplay | The plot is polarizing; some find the high-concept time-travel premise intriguing and clear, while others criticize it as nonsensical, hollow, or lacking depth | |
| Acting | The acting is inconsistent, with some viewers finding the lead performances engaging and others dismissing the cast as flat, unengaging, or lacking talent | |
| Emotion | The film evokes strong nostalgia for 80s sci-fi enthusiasts, yet contemporary viewers often find the execution and logic difficult to sit through |