Soylent Green
A weary detective uncovers a terrifying secret beneath the last food source sustaining an overcrowded, ecologically ruined New York.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- brooding
- foreboding
- oppressive
- classic science fiction night
- dystopian movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an effective but melodramatic and uneven dystopian science fiction thriller, with Edward G. Robinson's performance standing out.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story depicts exhausted natural resources, severe pollution, water scarcity, and food production transformed by environmental catastrophe.
Detective Thorn's murder inquiry is obstructed by government officials and influential figures who want it stopped.
Privileged residents occupy luxury apartments while the broader population faces overcrowding, shortages, and police repression.
Shirl is designated as furniture and rented with the luxury apartment, revealing the normalized objectification of women.
Films like Soylent Green, and why
Logan's Run
shares a near-future dystopian setting, ecological collapse, authoritarian social control, and paranoia-driven investigation
The Omega Man
shares a bleak science fiction vision of environmental catastrophe, overpopulation anxiety, and oppressive institutions
Blade Runner
shares a detective-centered conspiracy, urban paranoia, and a stylized dystopian future shaped by corporate power
The Insider
shares a mystery thriller structure, social inequality, and a disturbing revelation about an apparently ordinary system
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Fleischer
- Release Date
- 1973-04-18
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1495)
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Leigh Taylor-Young
- Chuck Connors
- Joseph Cotten
- Brock Peters
- Paula Kelly
- Edward G. Robinson
- Stephen Young
- Mike Henry
- Lincoln Kilpatrick
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 Soylent Green about?
- A weary detective uncovers a terrifying secret beneath the last food source sustaining an overcrowded, ecologically ruined New York.
- What is Soylent Green like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Soylent Green as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Soylent Green violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Soylent Green as mild.
- What did critics think of Soylent Green?
- Critics broadly found the film an effective but melodramatic and uneven dystopian science fiction thriller, with Edward G. Robinson's performance standing out.
- Which films are like Soylent Green?
- Films with a similar feel include Logan's Run, The Omega Man, Blade Runner, and The Insider.
- How long is Soylent Green?
- Soylent Green runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Soylent Green?
- In United States, Soylent Green is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
