MK Ultra is a 2022 American psychological thriller film written and directed by ex-intelligence officer Joseph Sorrentino.[1][2] Based on a true story about the human experimentation program MKUltra conducted by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1960s, the film follows Dr. Ford Strauss (Anson Mount), a psychiatrist who gets involved in a government experiment and conspiracy involving the use of psychedelic and other mind-controlling substances. It was released theatrically and on video on demand on October 7, 2022.
| MK Ultra | |
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 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph Sorrentino |
| Written by | Joseph Sorrentino |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Diego Romero |
| Edited by | Cristóbal Fernández |
| Music by | Tony Neiman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Premise
editIn the early 1960s, during the CIA's secret and illegal human experimentation program MK-Ultra,[a] Dr. Ford Strauss (Anson Mount), a psychiatrist, is attempting to get medical LSD testings approved; his moral and scientific boundaries are pushed to the limit, as he is approached by CIA agent Galvin Morgan (Jason Patric) to run a subsect of the program in a rural Mississippi psychiatric hospital. As he conducts the experiments on a drug addict, an arsonist, a transgender woman, and an animal killer, Dr. Strauss begins to question Agent Morgan’s ethics and disentangles an incomprehensible conspiracy.[3][4][5][6]
Cast
edit- Anson Mount as Ford Strauss
- Jaime Ray Newman as Rose Strauss
- Jason Patric as Galvin Morgan
- Alon Aboutboul as Townsend
- Jen Richards as Laura Stanley
- David Jensen as Dr. Miller
- Wanetah Walmsley as Nurse Irwin
- Jared Bankens as Gunther
- Harrison Stone as Brian Mercer
- Matt Nolan as Dwyer
- Charles Green as Kevin Mercer
- Susan McPhail as Peggy
- Cotton Yancey as Senator Mathis
- Bill Luckett as Senator Mathis
- Robert Aberdeen as The German
- Jill Renner as Shelly
- Josh Whites as Dallas Shepard
- Ted Ford as Confused guard
- Dalton Russell as Mental Patient
- Tony Key as Desmond
- Greg Dees as FBI Agent
- Cameron Abel as Father Jerry Schilling
Production
editFormerly titled Midnight Climax,[7][8] MK Ultra is the third feature film directed by Joseph Sorrentino,[1] who previously comes from an Intelligence Operations background.[2] He wrote the film based on a true story about the illegal human experimentation program Project MK-Ultra,[9][10] conducted by Central Intelligence Agency in the 1960s.[11][12] The film is produced by LB Entertainment and Ten Past Nine Productions with Suzy Bergner, Tom Rooker and Sigurjon Sighvatsson as executive producers.[11]
Release
editThe official trailer has been released on August 31, 2022.[13] The film was released theatrically, and on video on demand on October 7, 2022[7] in the United States through Cinedigm,[11] and worldwide through Bleiberg Entertainment.[14]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "MK" was an arbitrary symbol for the CIA's Technical Services Division. See CIA cryptonym#Format of cryptonyms and CIA cryptonym#Digraphs.
References
edit- ^ a b Samara, Nadir (October 7, 2022). "MK Ultra Review: Joseph Sorrentino's CIA Thriller Is Detailed & Effective". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Lovitt, Maggie (August 30, 2022). "'MK Ultra' Trailer Ensnares Anson Mount in a Dangerous Government Program [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ MK Ultra at an AMC Theatre near you., AMC Theatres, October 6, 2022, retrieved October 10, 2022
- ^ "MK Ultra". Houston Press. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Gordon; Whitbrook, James (October 6, 2022). "Todd McFarlane's Spawn Movie Finally Has Some New Writers". Gizmodo. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ Alejandro Marquez, Miguel (October 5, 2022). "MK ULTRA is a sober look into the Psychedelic Age". Moviejawn. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ a b P, Maddie (October 7, 2022). "How to Watch 'MK Ultra'". Collider. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "MK Ultra (2022) - FilmAffinity". FilmAffinity. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Chapter 3: Supreme Court Dissents Invoke the Nuremberg Code: CIA and DOD Human Subjects Research Scandals". Archived from the original on March 31, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Report on CIA MKULTRA Behavioral Modification Program 1977". publicintelligence.net – Public Intelligence. July 27, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (May 9, 2022). "Cinedigm Acquires CIA Thriller 'MK Ultra' Starring Anson Mount, Jaime Ray Newman And Jason Patric". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ Katre, Ajay (June 7, 2022). "Is "MK Ultra (2022)" Based On A True Story?". MarvelousVideos.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "TRAILER - MK Ultra (2022)". Mubi. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "MK Ultra". The Film Catalogue. American Film Market. Retrieved October 10, 2022.