The Formula

The Formula

1980 · 117 min · EN · R · 5.5 (38 votes)
Dir. John G. Avildsen · Starring George C. Scott, Marlon Brando, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud, G.D. Spradlin, Beatrice Straight · Music Bill Conti

Big Oil. Big Money. Big Mystery. Everyone’s out to make a killing.

ThrillerMysteryCrime

While investigating the death of a friend and fellow cop, Los Angeles police officer Barney Caine stumbles across evidence that Nazis created a synthetic alternative to gasoline during World War II. This revelation has the potential to end the established global oil industry, making the formula a very valuable and dangerous piece of information. Eventually, Caine must contend with oil tycoon Adam Steiffel, who clearly has his own agenda regarding the formula.

VIBE

A shadowy, paranoid thriller where the stakes are global and the atmosphere is thick with suspicion. This film feels like a deep dive into a dangerous conspiracy, where powerful forces are at play and trust is a luxury no one can afford.

grittytensesuspensefulconspiratorialsteadyneo-noirthrillerpolitical intrigue70s aestheticconspiracygreedpowerhistory
espionagebig oilinternational intrigue