Soylent Green is a 1973 American science‑fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Saul David. The screenplay, written by William F. Nolan, is loosely based on the 1966 novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, which addresses overpopulation and resource scarcity but does not feature the film’s central twist.
Production and release
- Release date: August 10, 1973 (United States)
- Production company: Warner Bros.
- Budget: Approximately $4.5 million
- Box office: Approximately $22 million worldwide
Plot synopsis Set in a dystopian 2022 New York City suffering from severe environmental degradation, food shortages, and uncontrolled population growth, the narrative follows police detective Frank Thorn (played by Charlton Heston). Thorn investigates the murder of a wealthy businessman, which leads him to uncover the composition of a high‑protein food product called “Soylent Green,” marketed as being made from ocean plankton. The investigation reveals that Soylent Green is actually produced from processed human corpses, a fact disclosed in the film’s climactic line: “Soylent Green is people!”
Cast
- Charlton Heston as Detective Frank Thorn
- Edward G. Robinson (in his final film role) as Sol Roth
- Leigh Taylor‑Moore as Sylvia
- Joseph Cotten as William Simonson
- Brock Peters as Lieutenant Ned
Cultural impact The film’s concluding revelation has entered popular culture as a shorthand reference to hidden or unethical sources of consumer goods, often invoked in discussions of food safety, sustainability, and corporate secrecy. The phrase “Soylent Green is people” is frequently quoted in media, academic discourse, and satire.
Reception Contemporary reviews praised the film’s atmospheric set design and social commentary, though some critics noted deviations from the source novel. Retrospective analyses regard Soylent Green as a notable example of 1970s environmental dystopian cinema and a cult classic within the science‑fiction genre.
