Big Oil. Big Money. Big Mystery. Everyone’s out to make a killing.
While investigating the death of a friend and fellow cop, Los Angeles police officer Barney Caine stumbles across evidence that Nazis created a synthetic alternative to gasoline during World War II. This revelation has the potential to end the established global oil industry, making the formula a very valuable and dangerous piece of information. Eventually, Caine must contend with oil tycoon Adam Steiffel, who clearly has his own agenda regarding the formula.
The Formula (1980) is a thriller, mystery and crime film directed by John G. Avildsen, released on December 19, 1980 with a runtime of 1h 57m. It stars George C. Scott, Marlon Brando, Marthe Keller and John Gielgud. Viewers rate it 5.5 out of 10 across 51 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Formula before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Formula.
Trailer
Trailer
George C. Scott
as Barney Caine
Marlon Brando
as Adam Steiffel
Marthe Keller
as Lisa
John Gielgud
as Dr. Abraham Esau
G.D. Spradlin
as Arthur Clements
Beatrice Straight
as Kay Neeley
Richard Lynch
as General Helmut Kladen / Frank Tedesco
John van Dreelen
as Hans Lehman
Robin Clarke
as Major Tom Neeley
Ike Eisenmann
as Tony
Marshall Thompson
as Geologist #1
Dieter Schidor
as Assassin
Directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Steve Shagan and Steve Shagan, produced by Steve Shagan.
Average viewer score of 5.5/10 from 51 ratings.
_**Odd, talky, convoluted, but worthwhile**_ Released in 1980, "The Formula" is a star-studded crime/thriller about a Los Angeles detective (George C. Scott) who investigates the murder of his friend, a retired cop, which leads to Germany and a Nazi formula for synthetic fuel that big oil naturally wants to suppress at all costs. Marlon Brando plays a shady oil tycoon but only appears for roughly 17 minutes of the…
Reviewed on July 18, 2021
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The Formula (1980) is available to stream on YouTube TV and Artiflix, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Formula (1980) includes George C. Scott, Marlon Brando, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud and G.D. Spradlin. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Formula was released on December 19, 1980 and runs for 1h 57m.
The Formula (1980) holds an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 from 51 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy thriller, mystery and crime films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Formula trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
