Silent Running
A fiercely devoted botanist risks murder and madness to preserve the last living forests drifting through a barren future cosmos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- contemplative
- sincere
- thoughtful science fiction night
- classic cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as technically impressive and unusually thoughtful environmental science fiction, while differing over its simplicity and Bruce Dern's characterization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lowell defies orders to destroy the last surviving forests and animal life preserved in orbital biomes.
After killing his crewmates, Lowell remains alone aboard the Valley Forge with only the drones and artificial forest for company.
The drones Huey, Dewey, and Louie become Lowell's principal companions and develop recognizable personality through movement and play.
The film repeatedly juxtaposes greenhouse forests housed in spacecraft pods with stark deep-space environments.
Films like Silent Running, and why
Soylent Green
shared ecological dystopia, contemplative space travel, and moral seriousness
2001: A Space Odyssey
shared solitary astronaut drama, philosophical science fiction, and expressive production design
WALL-E
shared environmental themes, intimate spacecraft setting, and emotionally significant nonhuman companions
The Quiet Earth
shared doomed ecological preservation, melancholy futurism, and human isolation
Movie Details
- Director
- Douglas Trumbull
- Release Date
- 1972-03-09
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (668)
Cast
- Bruce Dern
- Cliff Potts
- Ron Rifkin
- Jesse Vint
- Mark Persons
- Steven Brown
- Cheryl Sparks
- Larry Whisenhunt
- Joseph Campanella
- Roy Engel
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Silent Running about?
- A fiercely devoted botanist risks murder and madness to preserve the last living forests drifting through a barren future cosmos.
- What is Silent Running like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Silent Running as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Silent Running violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Silent Running as moderate.
- What did critics think of Silent Running?
- Critics broadly regard the film as technically impressive and unusually thoughtful environmental science fiction, while differing over its simplicity and Bruce Dern's characterization.
- Which films are like Silent Running?
- Films with a similar feel include Soylent Green, 2001: A Space Odyssey, WALL-E, and The Quiet Earth.
- How long is Silent Running?
- Silent Running runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Silent Running?
- In United States, Silent Running is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
