The Philadelphia Experiment

1984 Directed by Stewart Raffill

Will you survive?

Based on an "actual event" that took place in 1943. About a US Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and sent two men 40 years into the future to 1984.

Michael Paré Nancy Allen Eric Christmas Bobby Di Cicco Louise Latham Kene Holliday Joe Dorsey Michael Currie Stephen Tobolowsky Gary Brockette Debra Troyer Miles McNamara Don Dolan

Alternative Titles

Tuhonkuilu, John Carpenter's The Philadelphia Experiment, Projeto Filadélfia, Philadelphia Experiment I, El experimento Philadelphia, Eksperyment filadelfijski, Philadelphia Experiment, The (1984), Φιλαδέλφεια Ώρα Μηδέν

adventure thriller science fiction

102 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Carlo Carlo 4

The summary for this movie on LB reads "Based on an actual event."
HAHAHAH what?! Dude, this movie is about time travel and vortexes and Coca Cola product placement.
Review by Andreas Bardét ★★★ 2

Hier und da überraschend hübsche Special Effects und Kameraeinstellungen. Wirkt eher wie eine TV-Produktion, die aber ihren Job streckenweise ziemlich ernst zu nehmen scheint. Am Ende haben sie sogar ein bisschen "2001" gespielt! Den Film hätte ich gerne damals von Spielberg inszeniert gesehen, und gemixter Story mit "The Final Countdown" (1980).
Vielleicht schnippele ich die beiden Filme mal zusammen.

(hi)
Review by Slig001 ★★★½

Classic eighties time travel romp. It's a lot of fun, but probably best not to think about it too much. The plot focuses on an allegedly true experiment during WW2 in which the US navy tried to make a battleship invisible to radar. The experiment had unforseen consequences however as two hapless sailors are sent forty years into the future. The first act is the usual time travel shtick where our protagonists are first confused about their circumstances, then start to notice different things etc etc. I have to admit that I kind of like this stuff though. The plot moves at a brisk pace and while not everything makes perfect sense, it's always at least entertaining and the mystery…
Review by Evan Popplestone ★★★

This time travel adventure is most notable for two reasons. Firstly, it is loosely based on an urban legend revolving around a scientific experiment allegedly conducted by the United States Navy in 1943. Secondly, John Carpenter was originally on board to write and direct it but had a change of heart and elected to make Escape from New York instead. Ultimately, he only remained attached to the project in an Executive Producer capacity, with Stewart Raffill (The Ice Pirates) sitting in the director's chair.
It's solidly entertaining and features a few nicely-written moments (check out the scene where our main protagonist spots then-president Ronald Reagan on a television broadcast). However, despite some fairly impressive 1980s visuals, it feels more like…
Review by Mark Costello ★★★

Got the urge to revisit this after it was referenced in last week's The Dyatlov Pass Incident. And much like that film, the reality around which this stereotypical 'man out of time' sci-fi thriller is based, is far more interesting.........
Alright, that's a little harsh. This is a more than passable little thriller that once you get over the fact its less interested in the actual experiment (a WWII warship disappears while experimenting with radar deflecting technology, only to return with members of its crew mysteriously fused with parts of the ship........possibly) and more in Michael 'just the right kind of teak' Pare's and the Nancy 'so '80's it hurts' Allen's lost in time doomed relationship. Less Back to the…
Review by Travis Lytle ★★★

"The Philadelphia Experiment" may not have a lot of personality, but it is a watchable, sometimes enjoyable bit of science fiction. Beginning with an experiment to cloak naval vessels in the 1940's, the films follows two sailors who are thrown forward in time to the mid-1980s. From there, the film focuses on multiple chases as one of the sailors ties to understand his plight and others try to stop him.
It all adds up to a sturdy blend of fish-out-of-water thrills and romance. Though the film is not especially well made, some of its performances and effects are gloriously cut-rate, it is somewhat involving. There is a nice combination of pathos and action delivered by likable characters in science fiction…
Review by freeZy030 ★★★

Als ich den damals als Jugendlicher gesehen hab war das einer meiner absoluten Favoriten, aus heutiger Sicht betrachtet lässt der Film natürlich an vielen Stellen zu wünschen übrig. Auch die Effekte sind schon sehr Angestaubt und selbst zur damaligen Zeit gab es eine Reihe an Filmen die das besser hingekriegt haben. Alles in allem ist er immer noch ein annehmbarer 80er SciFi B-Movie den man sich durchaus mal geben kann und selbstverständlich besser als das Remake von 2012.
Review by Curtis ★★½

Today, we find ourselves at what is probably the high point of Stewart Raffill's directorial career. And like Mannequin II, it's a film he didn't write, which I feel is probably relevant to its quality.
Actually, I don't have a huge amount of problems with the writing here. It meanders a bit and the entire concept behind the Philadelphia Experiment might be the world's most egregious example of fucking up the math. But for a time travel movie, it's not as porous as it could be. The problems here lie in acting, direction and effects.
Some people...ok, one person is just miscast, since they never, for an instant, feel like a character out of time. And the entire film just…
Review by Nuno Costa ★★★

Viewed on MBOX
According to IMDB: This film is widely believed to be based on a real-life and ill-fated experiment with invisibility and force fields in the 1940s. However, to the best of any factual knowledge, no such experiment ever occurred, and the story was the work of an eccentric loner, Carl Allen, who sent notes on the "experiment" to the government in the 1950s, and whose story was later leaked. Despite the lack of any factual evidence, the story has become an urban legend, and favourite of conspiracy theorists, who point to the lack of evidence as proof that it's being covered up.
In October 1943, an experiment to make the Navy's fleet invisible on radar, sends two sailors…
Review by David Curtis ★★★

"No David, this is not a movie."
Such varying acting qualities in this... especially noticeable when the bland leading guy meets a face from the past and she out acts him by a mile...
Twenty-sixth film as part of the Birth Year Challenge.
Review by David Burgess ★★★★½

DVD/DIGITAL
This fantastic time travel science fiction adventure story captured my imagination when I was young. I remember watching this multiple times, thinking each time, what a fantastic movie. The cool thing is, that it hasn't changed. I still love this movie. Yes it is a bit dated.. but that's all right. When you watch movies like this you have to watch it with your mind firmly planted on the WHEN the movie was made... otherwise you lend yourself to disappointment.
I loved the overall time travel concept of this movie.. and the side romance didn't hurt anything in my opinion.. Man I loved the 80's. :-)
Review by daneaton ★½ 3

I remember this only as a listing in the HBO guide. Wasn't exactly what I thought it was -- my wires here are somewhat crossed with My Science Project, I think. A few action sequences were surprisingly solid and I liked the dated FX. With this and The Final Countdown it's a two way street of WWWII time buttholes in the sky. Kinda dull overall though. Pare is a dud (though I will still go to war over Streets of Fire).

Recent reviews

Review by ThreeOranges ★★★

It's about Navy guys who fall into the Doctor Who opening sequence and come out in the '80s.
Review by DailyRich68 ★★★

Another one of those mid-grade '80s movies that's better than it should be but not quite as good as it could be. It's got the requisite time travel twistiness, and although it turns into a pretty bog standard fugitive on the run story for most of its second act, it's still a good enough Twilight Zone-style story to be worth the watch.
Review by Jero ★★★

Um engenheiro da marinha norte-americana confere os últimos detalhes para um grande experimento na Filadélfia durante a segunda guerra. Divertido ao seu tempo. Consegue nos manter apreensivos quanto à conclusão da saga.
Review by derjanno ★★★

Eine Prise 80iger Sci-Fi, ein Schuss "Der letzte Countdown" und ein paar vernünftig aussehende Special Effects - das und der Rest vom Philadelphia Experiment reicht mir, um ne gute Zeit zu haben.
Review by Paul Worts ★★★½

Gets in a Ronald Reagan president gag a year before Back to the Future.
Review by Andreas Bardét ★★★ 2

Hier und da überraschend hübsche Special Effects und Kameraeinstellungen. Wirkt eher wie eine TV-Produktion, die aber ihren Job streckenweise ziemlich ernst zu nehmen scheint. Am Ende haben sie sogar ein bisschen "2001" gespielt! Den Film hätte ich gerne damals von Spielberg inszeniert gesehen, und gemixter Story mit "The Final Countdown" (1980).
Vielleicht schnippele ich die beiden Filme mal zusammen.

(hi)
Review by daneaton ★½ 3

I remember this only as a listing in the HBO guide. Wasn't exactly what I thought it was -- my wires here are somewhat crossed with My Science Project, I think. A few action sequences were surprisingly solid and I liked the dated FX. With this and The Final Countdown it's a two way street of WWWII time buttholes in the sky. Kinda dull overall though. Pare is a dud (though I will still go to war over Streets of Fire).
Review by FinalFriday ★★★

Auch heute noch recht unterhaltsam. Mehr Roadmovie als Scifi mit teils sehr gut gefilmten Szenen. Eine Autoverfolgung durch Weinberge mit an heutige Drohnenshots erinnernden Aufnahmen.
Review by Rob_ZDar_Group ★★

Back to the future for poor people.
Review by Nuno Costa ★★★

Viewed on MBOX
According to IMDB: This film is widely believed to be based on a real-life and ill-fated experiment with invisibility and force fields in the 1940s. However, to the best of any factual knowledge, no such experiment ever occurred, and the story was the work of an eccentric loner, Carl Allen, who sent notes on the "experiment" to the government in the 1950s, and whose story was later leaked. Despite the lack of any factual evidence, the story has become an urban legend, and favourite of conspiracy theorists, who point to the lack of evidence as proof that it's being covered up.
In October 1943, an experiment to make the Navy's fleet invisible on radar, sends two sailors…
Review by Redkill ★★½

Outdated Sci-fi... 80's... manfred mann the runner... So yeah... I'm in! 😅
Not the best 80's film, ok.
Review by Polina ★

Can't believe my dad had the gall to waste my Friday evening watching this.