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Poison

Play trailer Poster for Poison 1991 1h 26m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Three stories: "Hero," about a boy who kills his father; "Horror," black-and-white sci-fi; and "Homo," set in prison.
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Poison

Poison

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Critics Consensus

Claustrophobic and quirky horror, this is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader I could have done without the designer prison, but most of the other stylistic conceits work. Nov 9, 2010 Full Review Rob Nelson Village Voice Arguably the strongest American debut feature of the '90s. Nov 9, 2010 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Todd Haynes' Poison is a conceptually bold, stylistically audacious first feature, a compelling study of different forms of deviance. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) Todd Haynes has talent. The failures of his film are those of a director reaching high above the usual Hollywood product. And I would unhesitatingly declare him an artist if only on the basis of Poison's opening sequence. Rated: 2.5/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) Haynes is able to able to actually subvert the science fiction/horror genre—at worst socially conservative, at best a sympathetic cautionary tale. Sep 8, 2022 Full Review David Ehrenstein The Advocate Haynes demonstrates an understanding of Genet’s centrality to gay culture while suggesting ways that Genet’s works can be used as a tool for exploring personal and political awareness. Apr 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sam N Watched Poison at 3am when I couldn’t sleep—probably not the wisest choice. It’s bold, brash, and all a bit much when your brain’s half-mush. Some fascinating ideas and striking moments, though. I didn’t love it, but I’m curious enough to give it another go when I’m properly awake Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/28/25 Full Review PridePosterStudios Just a bit much really, isn’t it. Need a nice cup of tea now. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 04/26/24 Full Review georgan g This is a very odd movie with scary scenes mixed with goofy ones. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member An interesting movie from Todd Haynes with beautiful cinematography and great performances all around. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Poison is an elegantly produced, slightly disjointed assessment of gay life and its relationship with society at large, utilizing three different genres that appeal to gay audiences (campy sci-fi/horror, documentary, romantic drama) in order to convey messages about the AIDS crisis, the feeling of being poisoned by ones sexuality, the difficulty of expressing love in a world that hates you, and the assertion of gay love as natural. Although its themes are occasionally expressed heavy-handedly, its existence was absolutely revolutionary in a time when LGBT people were dying left and right only to be met with contempt by their own government, and though Haynes would go on to direct greater works dealing with these ideas, his first feature remains a vital piece of gay history and a testament to the power of independent filmmaking. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member I'll never be able to articulate the reaction I had to Todd Hayne's shrewd deconstruction of the early 1990's queer culture. Haynes merges his own vision within the context of Genet and John Waters at the same time. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Todd Haynes

Director

Edith Meeks

Felicia Beacon

Larry Maxwell

Dr. Graves

Scott Renderer

John Broom

Millie White

Millie Sklar

Buck Smith

Gregory Lazar

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Poison

Poison (1991) Poison (1991) Poison (1991) Poison (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Three stories: "Hero," about a boy who kills his father; "Horror," black-and-white sci-fi; and "Homo," set in prison.
Director
Todd Haynes
Producer
Christine Vachon
Screenwriter
Jean Genet
Production Co
Killer Films, Bronze Eye Productions, Poison L.P.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 13, 2017
Runtime
1h 26m
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