Phase IV

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Phase IV

PG

Released Sep 6, 1974

1h 26m

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

50%

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18 Reviews

55%

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1,000+ Ratings

Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists (Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy) and a woman (Lynne Frederick).

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Variety Staff

Variety

Cinematically, the ants are never very menacing.

Mar 26, 2009

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Martyn Auty

Time Out

Bass is the man who gave you the cat crawl for Walk on the Wild Side. As a director he's still got a lot of bugs to iron out.

Feb 9, 2006

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

A concept and a script that is initially spellbinding but then quickly turns into mystifying vacillations between fact and largely unconvincing fiction.

Jun 11, 2005

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Chris Ward

Flickering Myth

An oddity that does what all good sci-fi should do by asking questions but unfortunately not quite managing to deliver on its initial promise.

May 11, 2020

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Nathanael Hood

Unseen Films

In Phase IV we see a fledgling filmmaker biting off more than they can chew.

Rated: 4/10

May 7, 2020

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TV Guide

Nice idea for a science-fiction film, but it just doesn't (and probably couldn't) work.

Jan 15, 2017

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Stefan C

Unlike more modern apocalyptic films this really has a well done and surprising story - I still remember it since I saw it first back in the seventies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

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Steve D

Unintentional comedy that is extremely self serious.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/23

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Taylor L

"Do you want ants? Because THAT'S how you get ants." Phase IV is a fun film because it takes a bit of an absurd premise - a hyperintelligent, aggressive ant colony with powers granted by a cosmic flash - and gives it the philosophical sci-fi/horror treatment of a space opera like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris, plus a Tremors-esque fight against a mystery monster. The dynamic progresses from academic curiosity to survival horror to third-eye social engineering as the surviving protagonists ultimately accept their unknown future at the hands of novel and mysterious power. The power of ants. The only feature film directed by Saul Bass, more commonly known for his graphic design and storyboard work than anything else, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the conflict in this film features a lot of quick cuts to simulate the action of coordinated ants (since they're not so easy to herd) in a similar style to the storyboards he created for the iconic shower scene in Psycho. The visual composition is intense and thematically relevant, making it all the funnier when you remember that yes, this is still a film where the great cosmic villains are ants. Still not sure if this is visually great nonsense or a brilliant satire of heady sci-fi. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/15/22

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Audience Member

<i>In a single monotone voice, of a single homogenous hive mindset:</i> I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords—even if they are somewhat boring, the characters dry, and the story mechanical, at least until that psychedelic ending, which must be what happens when you get bitten by a bullet ant.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

Live action, real ants! Love the premise

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

A convoluted, tedious mess. Not only is it hokey, it's almost laughable. It's soo boringly paced, it's hard to follow, and there isn't a suspenseful moment in sight. But there is some truly exceptional insect photography in this...

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/21/19

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Saul Bass

Director

Nigel Davenport

Dr. Ernest D. Hubbs

Lynne Frederick

Kendra Eldridge

Michael Murphy

James R. Lesko

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Synopsis

Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists (Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy) and a woman (Lynne Frederick).

Director: Saul Bass
Producer: Paul B. Radin
Screenwriter: Mayo Simon
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 1974, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2017
Runtime: 1h 26m

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