The Andromeda Strain
The picture runs 130 minutes... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history... The suspense will last through your lifetime!
1971 • 131 min • Science Fiction · Thriller · Drama
Synopsis
When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. A group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone scrambles to a secure laboratory and tries first to isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont - an old alcoholic and a six-month-old baby - survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form, unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device designed to prevent the escape of dangerous biological agents.
Our family guide
Best from age 10- 100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
- 71 Audience · 818 · 49%
After a satellite returns with a deadly alien microorganism, a team of scientists races to a secret underground lab in New Mexico to contain and study it. They must work against the clock to understand the rapidly mutating organism before it escapes containment or triggers a nuclear self-destruct sequence. Two unexpected survivors from a ravaged town offer critical clues.
- Violence & peril
- 3/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 3/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 0/10
- Scary moments
- 6/10
Heads up
- Some disturbing images of deceased townsfolk
- Discussion and depiction of a deadly pathogen
- Characters smoke cigarettes frequently
- Intense suspense and isolation
What it models well
- Scientific inquiry and problem-solving
- Teamwork under pressure
- Deductive reasoning and critical thinking
- Responsibility in scientific research
Talk about it after
- The ethics of biological research and containment
- The role of science in protecting humanity
- How different perspectives can lead to solutions
- The power and unpredictability of nature
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Andromeda Strain. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
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Top billed cast
Director: Robert Wise • Crew: Nelson Gidding
Trailers & clips
Behind the scenes of "The Andromeda Strain" 1971 featurette
Oren Peli on THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN
The Andromeda Strain 1971 TV trailer
The Andromeda Strain (1971) Trailer
Reviewer notes
RecommendedWhen most of the population of a New Mexico town are found dead, scientists are quickly on the scene and discover that there appears to be some sort of lethal pathogen on the loose. Is it natural? A virus? From here or from outer space after a satellite recently crashed nearby? Well fortunately, Uncle Sam has a state of the art facility buried deep underground with five levels of sanitized security where “Stone” (...
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersFrighteningly absorbing piece of fiction that's fused with fact. A satellite from the SCOOP project has crashed into the desert town of Piedmont, the SCOOP project basically entails that the satellite scoops outer space for any alien micro-organisms. After the crash all the residents of Piedmont are killed with the exception of a baby and an old gentleman booze hound. Mankind is on the verge of being destroyed ...
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Gallery
Details
- TMDB audience
- 7.0/10 (818)
- Age rating
- G
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $6,500,000
- Box office
- $12,376,563
- IMDb
- tt0066769
