The Universal Theory

Play trailer

2:22

The Universal Theory

2024

1h 58m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Spenser Tomson

Sight & Sound

Nov 11

Kröger creates a world as hopeful as it is melancholy.

Go to Full Review

Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

Dec 23

5/5

... It is entirely its own exotically original thing. Catch it while it is on the big screen, where its widescreen brilliance truly flourishes.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

12/16/2024

3/5

An impenetrable plot doesn’t entirely hold together, but the film is worth a look for fans of wigged-out sci-fi, gorgeous framing and lush, orchestral, Bernard Herrmann-inspired soundtracks.

Go to Full Review

Alexa Dalby

Dog and Wolf

Jan 10

3/5

It’s amazing, absorbing, dreamlike, much too long, cleverly done and it enjoys the journey rather than the destination.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Chris H

Mar 22

I love the way I knew I wouldn't get closure so personally, I really enjoyed. Something orson welles about it. And Hitchcock. Soundtrack is absolutely on point.

See more

lionel p

Mar 11

Cinema needs more of these offbeat, ambitious outliers. Evokes feelings as ineffable as the film itself. Alphaville comes to mind.

See more

Stephen H

Dec 29

Uninspiring convoluted storyline. No emotional engagement. Unsatisfactory conclusion. Not sure what happens to key characters. Don’t waste your money.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Timm Kröger

Director

Jan Bülow

Johannes

Olivia Ross

Karin

Hanns Zischler

Strathen

Gottfried Breitfuss

Blumberg

David Bennent

Kommissar Arnold

Conclave

93%

86%

Conclave

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Conclave

The Beasts

99%

87%

The Beasts

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Beasts

Our Father, The Devil

97%

85%

Our Father, The Devil

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Our Father, The Devil

Chile '76

91%

96%

Chile '76

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Chile '76

Brother's Keeper

100%

86%

Brother's Keeper

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Brother's Keeper

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Universal Theory: Trailer 1

2:22

View more videos

View more photos

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.

Director: Timm Kröger
Screenwriter: Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger, Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Catpics Coproductions, Ma.ja.de. Fiction, The Barricades, Panama Film
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 27, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 58m

Most Popular at Home Now