Few would disagree that The Matrix is a better film than The Thirteenth Floor, which is burdened with an overly complicated plot and a conclusion that can be seen coming from a mile away (at night, by a blind person), but The Thirteenth Floor deserves to be considered on its own merits. Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is a visionary virtual reality researcher who, to test a new virtual reality system, artificially recreates the world of 1930s Los Angeles.

His suspicions aroused, Hall begins investigating Fuller's death and 'daughter', which eventually leads him back to Fuller's artificial world. As Hall uncovers more about Fuller's death and the mysterious woman, he slowly comes to realise the secret that Fuller took with him to the grave, a secret that will forever alter Hall's world and concept of reality.

The Thirteenth Floor's basic premise is quite intriguing, but the film's execution is somewhat disappointing and certainly doesn't live up to the concept's potential. Quite apart from the unnecessarily convoluted plot, the film's main failing is the cast. Mol and Bierko are strangely lethargic, and the only performance of note comes from the underrated Vincent D'Onofrio. The film's production, on the other hand, is dazzling with some spectacular recreations of 1930s Los Angeles. There's no doubt this could have been a better film (changing the clearly tacked-on ending would have helped no end) but the end result is still thought-provoking and entertaining.