Filmium
Back to search
Movie Backdrop

Chain Reaction streaming

1996 Movie United States Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction 107 min 12
By: Andrew Davis With: Nathan Davis, Joanna Cassidy, Chelcie Ross, Ann Whitney, Cheryl Hamada

Eddie Kasalivich, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, works as a technician for a scientific team that discovers an alternative, low-cost, pollution-free fuel source. Eddie and Lilly were involved in the research that was done at this first lab. The first lab was sabotaged and it exploded. One of the chief scientists is murdered during the attack and the sabotage of the lab, Eddie and physicist Lily Sinclair are framed for it and have to flee for their lives, with the FBI, CIA and other involved parties in close pursuit. Paul Shannon, Eddies mentor, is the director of a secret CIA contractor which - unknown to Eddie - has commercial interests in the lab equipment. Eddie and Lily flee police, FBI and CIA secret contractors but Lily winds getting captured and is driven to the underground experimental lab. Eddie follows Lily to this not yet fully working lab and quickly gets it working since it needed two different frequencies for the energy to get produced and Eddie has kept that in his head. As soon as Eddie arrives at a different location but with the same lab that can geneater hydrogen energy with a safer layout than the first location, Eddie dials in those two frequencies and the clean burning fire that lights up the hydrogen coming away from the water in the tank begin's burning. There is one problem, Eddie has to find a way to share the years of research leading up to the successful discovery with thousands of scientists and get out of the underground laboratory alive. Executives of the company that is secretly working for the CIA are interested in getting those frequencies so they can eliminate Eddie and Lily because they knew too much.Eddie designed everything to happen in such a way that if the secret cia contractor would let Eddie and Lily exit freely with no executions that he would hand over the two frequencies. But if the contractor would not, the lab equipment be shut off, and the lab computers would be shut off. Things quickly escalate but Eddie and Lilly are able to stay alive through the end of the movie, but there are surprises involving several who die at the climax, and what their dying words are.

Filmium rating
57%

Mood

Intense
Mysterious
Serious
Suspenseful
Thrilling

Cast & Crew

Andrew Davis
Arne Schmidt
Rick Seaman
Josh Friedman
John Drummond
Charley Sherman
Allen Hamilton
Pam Zekman
Noelle Bou-Sliman
Jack Kandel
Michael Shannon
Johnny Lee Davenport
Billy Haynes
Joe Guastaferro
Eddie Bo Smith Jr.
Mark Morettini
Tom Mula
James Sie
Ned Schmidtke
Walter Doggett
Soseh Kevorkian
Randall Arney
Nathan Davis
Rio Zavala
Will Zahrn
Stanley M. Span
Mary Seibel
Scott Benjaminson
Ann Whitney
Brian Cox
Christopher Holloway
Krzysztof Pieczyński
Cheryl Hamada
Joanna Cassidy
Margaret Travolta
Tell Draper
Daniel H. Friedman
Juan Ramírez
David Pasquesi
Rich Komenich
Nicholas Kusenko
Michael Skewes
Julie Pearl
Lisa Tejero
Morgan Freeman
Ken Moreno
Keanu Reeves
Godfrey
Gina Raffin
Rachel Weisz
Joseph F. Kosala
Turk Muller
John W. Hardy
Neil Flynn
Kevin Dunn
Miguel Nino
Gene Barge
Timothy J. Maxwell
Nina Beesley
Fred Ward
Michael Gaylord James
David Michael Gee
Leslie Mikol
Nicholas Rudall
Chelcie Ross
Ron Dean
Nydia Rodriguez Terracina
Denise Price
Jim Ortlieb
Cathy Herd
Afram Bill Williams
Tzi Ma
Dick Cusack
Joan Kohn
Danny Goldring

Budget

Mid-Budget
Studio Film

Cinematic Technique

Chase Scenes
Close-Up Shots
Dynamic Camera Work
Explosive Sequences
On-Location Filming
Practical Effects

Narrative Structure

Conspiracy
Non-Linear
Thriller

Pace

Action-Driven
Fast-Paced
Intense
Urgent

Style

Action-Packed
Cinematic
Dynamic
Fast-Paced
Thriller

Time-Period

1990S
1996

Central Conflict

Conspiracy To Suppress Energy
Framing
Lab Explosion
Scientific Espionage

Characters

Conspirator
Fbi Agents
Framed Individuals
Scientist
Whistleblower

Ending

Ambiguous
Exposure Of Conspiracy
Heroic Escape

Historical Context

1990S
Energy Crisis Fears
Post-Cold War Era

Key Plot Points

Discovery Of Clean Energy
Escape
Frame-Up
Lab Sabotage
Race To Reveal Truth

Plot

Conspiracy
Escape
Espionage
Explosive Lab Accident
Framing
Government Conspiracy
Government Cover-Up
Man-On-The-Run
Scientific Breakthrough
Scientific Discovery

Setting

C-Systems Research Facility
Chicago
Laboratory
Observatory
University Lab
Urban Chicago
Wisconsin Observatory

Shooting Location

Chicago
On-Location
Wisconsin

Theme

Corruption
Government Secrecy
Innocence
Power Of Technology
Scientific Ethics
Scientific Innovation
Truth Vs. Deception

Genre

Action
Science Fiction
Thriller

Audiences

Action Enthusiasts
Adults
Science Fiction Enthusiasts
Teens
Thriller Fans

Titles

Chain Reaction

Awards

Razzie Nomination For Keanu Reeves

Box Office Success

$60 Million Worldwide
Moderate Success

Critical Reception

Critic Confusion
Mixed Reviews
Spectacular Chase Scenes

Popularity

Cult Following
Disappointing Reviews

Ratings

18% Rotten Tomatoes

Reception

Box Office Moderate
Box Office Performance
Mixed Reception
Negative Reviews
Poor Critical Reception

Production Countries

United States

Release Year

1996
mowizz ID: f35aa85a-27c1-4422-9110-618b83181efc
Imprint
Privacy policy
Terms and Conditions
About us
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Supported by:
KtBE
BAK
EGS
Suissimage
Swissperform
© 2026 Filmium GmbH - all external content remains the property of the rightful owner
Version: v1.2.40 (frontend) | (backend)