Robert Wagner is excellent as the cold, social climber who is having trouble being accepted by the family of his comparatively-rich girlfriend, Dorothy Kingship (Joanne Woodward). The fact that she is now pregnant only makes matters worse and Bud coldly murders Dorothy and leaves false evidence that she committed suicide. When Dorothy’s sister Ellen (Virginia Leith) starts to look into the true nature of her death, she puts her own welfare at risk as Bud starts to consider further drastic measures to ensure that his secret remains unmasked.
Pretty boy Wagner took the role of the cunning sociopath Bud Corliss partly in an attempt to prove he could act darker parts than his fans had been used to and is considered by some as one of his finest performances. Yet, this film is not a one trick pony and offers excellent supporting roles from Mary Astor as the mother and Joanne Woodward as the girlfriend to round off an enjoyable viewing to suit any film noir enthusiast. Gerd Oswald's excellent film was his first and arguably best, and was based on a novel by Ira Lewin (whose other works resulted in iconic films such as Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives and The Boys From Brazil) shot in widescreen Deluxe Color.
A more recent remake failed to capture the tension of the original despite a chilling performance from Matt Dillon killing his way up the corporate ladder in the 1990s by romancing twin wealthy heiresses, both played by Sean Young.
More details
Soundtrack
Average
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Outstanding
Value for Money
Satisfactory
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
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Production Year: 1991 - Thriller - Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes, Tim Burton, Julian Schnabel - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over
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