Although Arthur Hamilton is happily married and has a successful career, he no longer seems to find any joy in life. After receiving a strange phone-call from a supposedly dead friend, he comes in contact with The Company, a powerful corporation that seduces him into taking a literally fatal decision. With a new face, a beautiful Malibu beach house and a new career as an abstract painter, he tries to enjoy a second chance under the name of Tony Wilson (an a-typical role for Rock Hudson). Part psychological thriller, part futuristic scifi, this film by John Frankenheimer breathes paranoia and madness. The expressionist black and white photography and foreboding soundtrack create a chilling and dreadful atmosphere.