The Universal Theory

In this stark neo-noir thriller that plays like a mix between Philip K. Dick and Hitchcock, a research student uncovers a post-war conspiracy at a 1960s physics conference in the Swiss Alps, learning that time may not be as linear as he thinks. Nominated for Best Picture at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.Amid early 1960s Cold War intrigue, bookish Johannes travels to the Swiss Alps for a physics conference. Though the conference quickly underwhelms, an eccentric ensemble of participants reveals itself, along with surreal secrets from the depths of the palatial conference hotel. What happens next will test Johannes’ perceptions of reality, becoming the substance of his book The Universal Theory a decade later, published as science fiction although he insists it is fact. Sumptuously styled with stunning widescreen black-and-white cinematography, THE UNIVERSAL THEORY daringly blends genres from film noir to murder mystery to science fiction into a film of classic formalist beauty. —C.F.