The Philadelphia Experiment

The Philadelphia Experiment

Year: 2012

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Paul Ziller

AdventureMysteryThriller

A covert government initiative seeks to replicate the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, a World War II project aiming to cloak warships. When the experiment unexpectedly succeeds, the original ship, the USS Eldridge, vanishes and reappears decades later, unleashing chaos and destruction upon the present day. A lone survivor of the initial test and his granddaughter must work together to prevent further devastation and uncover the truth behind the disastrous event.

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Timeline & Setting – The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Philadelphia Experiment (2012). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1943, 1984

The narrative hops between World War II-era Philadelphia in 1943 and the mid-1980s, particularly 1984 when the vanished town returns. The 1943 sequences revolve around secrecy, wartime science, and a dangerous experiment. The 1984 segments mix pursuit, memory, and a renewed hope to understand how the Eldridge’s power links the two eras.

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Santa Paula, California, Vanished Town (fictional)

The film mostly centers on the Philadelphia shipyard and naval setting of 1943, where a top-secret experiment aims to render the Eldridge invisible to radar. It also takes the characters to a temporary, vanishing town that appears for a moment before dissolving, and later to a desert-like landscape near Santa Paula, California. These places anchor the story’s temporal shifts and the characters’ struggle to survive across timelines.

🗺️ City & Town 🕵️ Mystery

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:35

Main Characters – The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)

Meet the key characters of The Philadelphia Experiment (2012), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Morton Salinger — Malcolm McDowell

A brilliant but enigmatic scientist behind the Philadelphia experiment; his relentless drive and secrecy push dangerous boundaries. He believes his work will save or redefine the future, even at a high cost to reality and those around him. His moral ambiguity drives much of the story’s conflict.

🔬 Scientist 🧠 Enigmatic

Molly Gardener — Emilie Ullerup

A cautious local woman who becomes entangled with the fugitives during their disorienting flight. She demonstrates resilience under pressure and serves as a human touchstone amid time fractures. Her wary stance gradually gives way to reluctant curiosity.

🗺️ Local 🧭 Cautious

Hagan — Michael Paré

A determined, pragmatic figure in the unfolding pursuit, balancing loyalty to colleagues with the harsh realities of a secret project. He projects authority and a willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain control. His choices illuminate the conflict between duty and ethics.

🔧 Engineer 🧭 Loyal

Lena — Allison Hossack

Jim’s wife, now elderly, who recognizes the newcomer and exposes long-buried connections to Jim’s past. She embodies memory’s stubborn persistence and the quiet strength of someone who has weathered loss. Her presence helps anchor the protagonist to a history that should have stayed closed.

🧓 Elderly 🧠 Perceptive

Bill Gardner — Nicholas Lea

A practical, protective family figure who navigates suspicion and danger with a cool head. He represents stability in the chaos of the timelines and serves as a counterbalance to more impulsive choices. His pragmatism keeps the human stakes in view.

🛡️ Protective 🧭 Practical

Richard Falkner — Ryan Robbins

A military police officer leading the pursuit, relentless and resourceful in tracking the fugitives. He embodies the pursuit’s severity while also showing moments of moral conflict. His actions heighten the danger but drive the urgency of the mission.

🕵️ Investigator 🛡️ Relentless

Katheryn Moore — Gina Holden

A local woman who encounters the fugitives with cautious observation. She influences the fugitives’ choices and helps reveal hidden truths about the town’s fading history. Her perspective adds a grounded, human angle to the unfolding mystery.

🗺️ Local 🧭 Observant

Carl Reed — John Reardon

A calculating investigator who becomes entwined in unraveling the Philadelphia affair. He is methodical and skeptical, probing to separate fact from illusion. His presence feeds the suspense and layers of discovery.

🧭 Investigator 🛡️ Skeptical

Driver — Lauro David Chartrand-DelValle

A steady, capable driver who helps the fugitives navigate perilous escapes. He remains calm under pressure and provides essential mobility and practical support. His role underlines the everyday reliability that keeps characters moving forward.

🚗 Driver 🧭 Helpful

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:35

Major Themes – The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)

Explore the central themes of The Philadelphia Experiment (2012), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Time Slip

The story hinges on abrupt shifts across time, blurring cause and effect as the Eldridge’s effects pull sailors from 1943 into 1984. Characters grapple with a fractured sense of reality, trying to reconstruct what truly happened and what remains true across timelines. The film uses the paradox to explore memory, guilt, and the fragility of certainty.

🔬 Science & Ethics

A top-secret experiment pushes the boundaries of physics with dangerous consequences, forcing characters to confront the costs of ambition. The pursuit of protection and power reveals how easily scientific curiosity can outpace moral judgment. The narrative questions who bears responsibility when experiments ripple across time and lives.

🧭 Memory & Identity

As past and present collide, characters cling to fragments of memory to define who they are and where they belong. The bond between the fugitives and the people they meet across 1943 and 1984 shows how human connection persists beyond temporal fractures. The plot uses these echoes to examine identity shaped by loss, time, and resilience.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:35

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The Philadelphia Experiment Summary

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The Philadelphia Experiment Summary

The Philadelphia Experiment Timeline

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The Philadelphia Experiment Timeline

The Philadelphia Experiment Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Philadelphia Experiment Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Philadelphia Experiment

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