The Thirteenth Floor - Life is a Simulation
Or are we all part of a simulation? When we think of God as the creator and the world as the center of simulation, every living and non-living thing in it can be seen as part of the simulation. The 1999 movie The Thirteenth Floor deals with exactly this issue.
But learning that those who see themselves as the creators of the simulation are actually other parts of the simulation makes the already complex story even more complicated. I can describe the movie, which has a complex and brain-burning story, as magnificent.
Are we really just extras in a simulation waiting for our destiny? Assuming that this is true, we can also assume that every effort we make to change our destiny is nothing more than a distraction and a way to run out the clock. If we assume that this is not true, then we continue to live according to our beliefs and accept the life we are destined to live in complete surrender to our fate. I think in both cases the world could be part of a simulation.
Imagine going somewhere you've never been before. Get in your car and drive non-stop, no matter what. At some point you reach the end of the world.
The end of the world, of course, is where the simulation ends. But it is unclear how many layers the simulation consists of, because even the creators of the simulation are parts of the simulation. Changing body and mind and becoming another person in the appearance of the same person is an intervention in the simulation (fate).
The Thirteenth Floor has an absolutely brilliant script and the story moves seamlessly throughout the movie. There is not a single moment where the pieces don't fall into place and there are gaps in the story. I've seen a similar scenario before in a movie about dreams and how what happens in their sub-layers can affect real life.
Craig Bierko, who plays Douglas Hall, is the main protagonist of the movie as one of the first people to test and create the simulation. From the moment he learns that he is also part of the simulation, he really lives the story with the character he plays. Actually, I don't think he has a hard time adapting to the character he portrays because almost every person living in the world can think that they are part of a similar simulation. I guess the biggest obstacle for those who don't will be the spiritual values they believe in.
The movie approaches a subtle subject that many people would hesitate to talk about with excellent perspectives. In doing so, I don't think it offends any group of people. Without going to extremes, it shows the simulation and the fate of those who live in it through a program and allows the viewers to form their opinions.
In fact, even though the movie doesn't deal with it much, such a scenario opens the door to time travel. All one has to do is go from one simulation to another, in other words, from one program to another program!
The Thirteenth Floor is one of those movies that I think everyone should watch, so I don't hesitate to recommend it. Try to watch it in a quiet, calm environment because the story is complex enough to require some attention.