Paranoia

Paranoia

Year: 2013

Runtime: 106 min

Language: English

Director: Robert Luketic

Budget: $35M

DramaThriller

In a fiercely competitive world dominated by tech giants, two powerful billionaires are locked in a bitter rivalry rooted in a shared history. A promising young employee finds himself unexpectedly drawn into their dangerous game of corporate espionage, tempted by the promise of immense wealth. He soon discovers that navigating this high-stakes conflict involves a precarious balancing act, where his safety and future hang in the balance as he’s caught between the two powerful figures.

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Timeline & Setting – Paranoia (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Paranoia (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2010s

Set in a contemporary, tech-driven corporate world, the story moves at a fast pace driven by digital tools and rapid decision-making. The timeframe reflects present-day concerns about privacy, surveillance, and corporate warfare. The tech-centric environment defines the tempo, with access control, hacks, and strategic leverage shaping every move.

Location

New York City, Brooklyn

Paranoia unfolds within a dense New York urban landscape, with sleek corporate offices, exclusive clubs, and a high-stakes Brooklyn startup scene. The city atmosphere emphasizes glamour and danger in equal measure, a playground for power brokers and tinkerers. From glass-walled boardrooms to the gritty streets of Brooklyn, the setting mirrors the moral stakes of the plot.

🏙️ Cityscape 🕴️ Corporate Intrigue 🧭 Urban Tech

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:51

Main Characters – Paranoia (2013)

Meet the key characters of Paranoia (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth)

A talented but underutilized inventor who is coerced into corporate espionage after being fired. He is ambitious and resourceful, yet morally conflicted as he grapples with loyalty to friends and family versus self-preservation. His ingenuity helps him survive the corporate battlefield while seeking a safer, legitimate path forward.

💡 Ambitious 🕵️ Cunning 🧭 Moral conflict

Nicholas Wyatt (Harrison Ford)

A ruthless corporate titan who uses manipulation and threats to protect and expand his empire. He leverages power to control rivals and force Adam’s compliance, revealing a chilling willingness to sacrifice others for success. His strategic mind makes him a formidable antagonist in the struggle for dominance.

💼 Power 🧠 Strategy 🗡️ Ruthlessness

Jock Goddard (Gary Oldman)

A rival CEO who seeks to take over Wyatt’s company by exposing Adam’s activities. He is calculating and bold, willing to exploit weaknesses and manipulate information to achieve his goals. His presence amplifies the ethical murkiness of the corporate war and the danger of overreaching ambition.

💼 Power 🧠 Strategy 🗡️ Ruthlessness

Emma Jennings

Director of Marketing who becomes entangled in the espionage plot as Adam exploits her access to gain information. She discovers Adam’s manipulation, which tests her loyalties and resilience. Her relationship with Adam adds a personal dimension to the corporate conflict and its fallout.

💼 Marketing 🤝 Trust

Miles Meachum

Wyatt’s enforcer who uses intimidation and violence to enforce the corporate agenda. He retaliates against Adam and plays a key role in the high-stakes power struggle. His actions heighten the sense of danger and the cost of crossing the wrong people.

🗡️ Violence 🕵️ Intimidation

Judith Bolton

A trainer who guides Adam through the corporate spy craft, revealing the professional mentorship behind the espionage. Her role adds a layer of deception and training in the art of manipulation. She embodies the morally gray world where expertise can be used for both advancement and harm.

🎓 Mentor 🧩 Deception

Kevin

Adam’s friend who helps him and contributes to recordings that expose the conspirators. He represents loyalty and courage, providing a practical counterbalance to the protagonists’ scheming. His involvement helps pivot the plot toward FBI involvement and legal accountability.

🎯 Ally 🧭 Resourceful

Frank Cassidy

Adam’s father who becomes a focal point of the threats looming over Adam’s choices. His safety underscores the personal stakes behind the corporate power struggle and the human cost of the conflict.

👨 Family 🛡️ Protective

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:51

Major Themes – Paranoia (2013)

Explore the central themes of Paranoia (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💼 Power & Greed

Power and greed propel the narrative as Wyatt and Goddard contend for control of a lucrative tech empire. Each man uses Adam as a pawn to advance his own interests, highlighting how ambition can corrupt judgment. Coercion, manipulation, and ruthless deals demonstrate the high cost of unchecked corporate ambition. The resolution underscores the consequences of greed, including arrests and fragile victories.

🕵️ Deception & Trust

The plot is built on lies, misdirection, and shifting loyalties that blur who to trust. Emma becomes a tool in the espionage game, and Adam's trust is repeatedly betrayed. Evidence emerges in the form of recordings and betrayals, driving tension and forcing characters to question their alliances. Trust is depicted as fragile in a world where motive is always in question.

🔒 Technology & Surveillance

A central motif is the power and peril of technology, from hacking software to prototype devices like Occura. The tech is both enabler and weapon, amplifying surveillance and manipulation in the corporate war. Innovations spark opportunity while raising moral and legal concerns about privacy and control. The FBI investigation adds a layer of accountability and consequence to the tech-centric plot.

👥 Relationships & Morality

The film probes how personal connections survive under corporate pressure, including Adam's relationship with Emma and loyalty to friends. Moral choices become ambiguous as ambition clashes with affection and integrity. The story uses intimate dynamics to contrast the cold calculus of business with human costs. Ultimately, love and trust test the characters as they navigate a treacherous landscape.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:51

Unlock the Full Story of Paranoia

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Paranoia Summary

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Paranoia Summary

Paranoia Timeline

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Paranoia Timeline

Paranoia Spoiler-Free Summary

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Paranoia Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Paranoia

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