World on a Wire

In the future, Simulacron, a computer project simulating reality, encounters strange occurrences after its leader's death. Dr. Stiller questions the sudden disappearance of a friend and wonders if Simulacron holds the answers.

World on a Wire (1973) is a West German science fiction miniseries created by Rainer Werner Fassbinder for Das Erste. Klaus Löwitsch plays Fred Stiller, a researcher at the Simulacron computer institute, a project that builds a simulated society so convincing that its inhabitants may not know they are simulated. When his colleague vanishes and the lab's leader dies, Stiller begins to question whether the institute's world is the only real one, pressing colleagues and officials for answers while the ground beneath his own life grows unstable. Mascha Rabben appears as Eva Vollmer, and Karl-Heinz Vosgerau and Barbara Valentin round out a cast of corporate figures and associates caught in the strange occurrences. The series runs as a two-episode miniseries of roughly 102 minutes each, a compact and cerebral piece. Its tone is cool, talky, and paranoid, with a mystery that rewards close attention rather than spectacle. Its futuristic corporate sets and sterile interiors give the story an unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere. Fans of The Thirteenth Floor, The Matrix and Solaris will find resonance in its meditation on simulated reality and technological alienation.

Audiences rate this two-part German science fiction miniseries positively, admiring its unsettling exploration of simulated reality.

• The Thirteenth Floorshared simulated reality premise and slow philosophical paranoia about constructed worlds
• The Matrixshared computer simulation of reality and identity doubt
• Solarisshared dystopian paranoia and questioning of what is real, cerebral 1970s-style science fiction

Created by

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Release Date

1973-10-14

Episode runtime

102 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (86)

What is World on a Wire about?

A research scientist in a near-future computer lab uncovers strange disappearances tied to a reality-simulating program called Simulacron.

What is World on a Wire like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of World on a Wire as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as dense.

Is World on a Wire violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in World on a Wire.

What did critics think of World on a Wire?

Audiences rate this two-part German science fiction miniseries positively, admiring its unsettling exploration of simulated reality.

Which shows are like World on a Wire?

Shows with a similar feel include The Thirteenth Floor, The Matrix, and Solaris.

How long is World on a Wire?

World on a Wire: 1 season, 2 episodes.

Is World on a Wire still running?

No, World on a Wire has ended.

Where can I watch World on a Wire?

In United States, World on a Wire streams on Criterion Channel.