Watch Radio Free Albemuth
- R
- 2014
- 1 hr 50 min
-
5.6 (1,905)
In the year 1985, the United States of America is a totalitarian state under the rule of a right-wing regime known as the Friends of the American Government. However, an underground movement is gaining strength, and a mysterious entity known as VALIS is said to be influencing the resistance. Enter Philip Dick (Shea Whigham), a science fiction author who is having strange visions about a parallel universe where the outcome of the Cold War was different. He suspects that VALIS is communicating with him and starts writing a novel based on his visions. Along with his friend and music industry executive, Nick Brady (Jonathan Scarfe), Dick decides to start a pirate radio station called Radio Free Albemuth to broadcast the truth about the regime to the masses.
Radio Free Albemuth is a political thriller that explores themes such as government control, censorship, and resistance. The film is based on the writings of renowned science-fiction author Philip K. Dick and is directed by John Alan Simon.
The film takes place in an alternative version of the United States where the government has become totalitarian after the assassination of President Kennedy. The Friends of the American Government (FOAG) is the ruling party, and dissent is not tolerated. The story is told from the perspective of Philip Dick, who is haunted by visions of VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System), a mysterious entity that communicates with him through his writing.
Throughout the movie, Philip struggles to make sense of his visions and the messages he receives from VALIS. He confides in his friend Nick, who also starts seeing signs of VALIS's influence in his life. Together, they decide to start Radio Free Albemuth, a pirate radio station that broadcasts anti-government messages to the people.
The story is filled with twists and turns as the resistance movement gains momentum, and the government tries to track down the source of the broadcasts. The film also includes several musical performances, as Nick is a music industry executive and is trying to promote a new band called The Be Five.
The cast is excellent, with Shea Whigham delivering a powerful performance as Philip Dick. Jonathan Scarfe is also great as Nick, and the chemistry between the two actors is one of the highlights of the movie. Michael Rothhaar also delivers a solid performance as Ferris Fremont, a government agent tasked with hunting down the source of the radio broadcasts.
The cinematography is excellent, giving the film a gritty, almost dystopian feel. The use of color is also interesting, with muted tones used for the scenes set in the present day and brighter colors used for the scenes set in Philip's alternate universe.
Overall, Radio Free Albemuth is a thought-provoking political thriller that explores important themes such as government control, censorship, and resistance. The excellent cast, direction, and cinematography make it a must-watch for fans of Philip K. Dick's work and anyone interested in political thrillers.
Radio Free Albemuth is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 35.