Watch Quintet

Quintet is a sci-fi thriller released in 1979 directed by Robert Altman and starring Paul Newman, Vittorio Gassman, and Fernando Rey among others. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which an ice age has wiped out most of the population. The survivors live in a frozen city characterized by a society in decline and a culture of gambling, drug use, and debauchery.

Newman plays Essex, a professional game player who becomes entangled in a mysterious and dangerous game of "Quintet" - a seemingly simple board game, but one that leads to deadly consequences. The game is played with five players, each representing a different color, with the ultimate goal of killing off the other players.

The movie begins with Newman's character, Essex, experiencing a sudden and brutal attack, leaving him critically injured. Despite his wounds, he manages to crawl to a nearby building where he is taken in by a group of people who are living underground. There, he meets an elderly man, Grigor (Fernando Rey), who introduces him to the game of Quintet. Essex teams up with Grigor to compete in the game, which they soon realize is a matter of life and death.

As the game plays out, the players are manipulated by unseen forces that lead to unpredictable outcomes. Essex becomes increasingly suspicious of the others, especially when a fellow competitor is murdered during gameplay. He suspects that someone is using the game to get away with murder, possibly to eliminate competition in the underground society.

As Essex, Grigor and the remaining players continue to play the deadly game, they begin to realize that there is much more at stake. They discover that Quintet is not just a game, but part of a grander plan by a powerful group that controls their society from above. This realization leads to a new battle as the players arrive at a stunning revelation that portends a dangerous future for those who remain.

Quintet is a dark and intense thriller that creates a haunting atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Altman's direction and the writing create a bleak and desolate world that is a direct reflection of the players' own experience. The performances of Newman, Gassman, and Rey are superb, perfectly capturing the gritty and unsettling tone of the film.

The cinematography is also noteworthy, with crisp and visually striking shots of the frozen city and the surrounding landscape. The score created by Tom Pierson is haunting and effective, underscoring the tension and suspense throughout the film.

Quintet is a gripping sci-fi thriller that explores the darker side of human nature, delving into themes of power, control, and violence. It challenges our understanding of what we consider to be a game, and the extent to which we are willing to compete to survive. It is a thought-provoking and unforgettable experience that will leave you questioning your own values and beliefs long after the credits have rolled.

Quintet is a 1979 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.0.