Capricorn One (1977)

Peter Hyams captures the apex of post-Watergate public scepticism in this breathless thriller about a staged Mars expedition filmed inside an isolated desert soundstage. James Brolin leads the betrayed flight crew racing through the wilderness whilst Elliott Gould portrays the lone investigative reporter tracing erased flight data and missing technicians. It serves as a devastating critique of state-controlled narrative manipulation, where institutional prestige is preserved through the quiet liquidation of witnesses.