A Perfect Murder

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A Perfect Murder

R

1998

1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Wall Street baron Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) discovers that his pretty young wife, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), is cheating on him. But what concerns him more than her infidelity is the hope of profiting from her untimely death. Emily has millions, and Steve's own financial empire is collapsing before his eyes. He hires her lover, David (Viggo Mortensen), to murder her. The plan -- to stage a break-in that will look like a random murder -- turns out to be far from perfect.

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Critics Consensus

A slick little thriller that relies a bit too much on surprise events to generate suspense.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

11/06/2002

4/5

...a fast-paced thriller that probably will leave Alfred Hitchcock aficionados mourning its shallowness -- but not until after they've enjoyed an adrenaline rush.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

04/12/2002

2.5/4

None of the amusement gained in watching the performances, unfortunately, amounts to much, as the script, in a desperate attempt to lend action interest to the original, static, puzzle plot, compounds surprise turn after surprise turn.

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

06/05/2001

2/5

What the film lacks is suspense, surprise (the new ending is a dud) and passion.

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Quentin Falk

Sunday Mirror (UK)

12/19/2024

This loose reworking of Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder over-complicate that simple but chilling classic.

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Elissa Suh

Moviepudding (Substack)

02/16/2023

Efficient in plot but drab in tone, the real travesty of this remake of Hitchcock’s Dial M. for Murder lies in the severe lack of screen time dedicated to Gwyneth’s outfits.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

09/02/2022

C-

The movie falls into the predictable pattern of who’s-plotting-against-who, with everyone’s motivations reduced to cardboard.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone May 30

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Rotten P

@RT18099091 Nov 18

A Perfect Murder (1998) delivers a stylish 90s psychological thriller that expertly blends suspense, romance, and intrigue. Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen lead a tight cast in a story full of twists, clever plotting, and moral ambiguity, keeping audiences engaged from start to finish. While it modernizes Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder with a more expansive plot and sleek production design, the film occasionally falters toward the ending, slightly undermining its otherwise taut suspense. Nonetheless, it remains an entertaining, twisty thriller that stands out in a decade otherwise dominated by blockbuster spectacle.

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G R

@RT18208067 Oct 30

Not amazing but it’s an engaging enough 6-7/10 movie.

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kevenquinlan T

@RT75276071 Sep 1

This movie is 4 stars- both audiences and critics got it wrong. Michael Douglas is as fun to watch as ever and throw in Vigo and Gwyneth and a really crazy series of events and it was great to watch. The begining is a bit clunky- they didn't establish who had money in their relationship and how much until midway through the film? But barring that it was still great. A keeper for your collection.

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Jonah Sage D

@RT67735603 Jun 29

Surprised at the bad reviews. Plot is tight, lots of surprises, and overall great film in the style of The Last Seduction. 90s psych thriller classic.

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Rehan T

@RT81460504 05/05/2025

I enjoyed the movie. Douglas killed it in this movie. But, why is everyone after Michael Douglas in every movie, lol...

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Andrew Davis

Director

Michael Douglas

Steven Taylor

Gwyneth Paltrow

Emily Bradford Taylor

Viggo Mortensen

David Shaw

David Suchet

Mohamed Karaman

Sarita Choudhury

Raquel Martinez

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Synopsis

Wall Street baron Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) discovers that his pretty young wife, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), is cheating on him. But what concerns him more than her infidelity is the hope of profiting from her untimely death. Emily has millions, and Steve's own financial empire is collapsing before his eyes. He hires her lover, David (Viggo Mortensen), to murder her. The plan -- to stage a break-in that will look like a random murder -- turns out to be far from perfect.

Director: Andrew Davis
Producer: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson, Christopher Mankiewicz, Peter Macgregor-Scott
Screenwriter: Patrick Smith Kelly
Production Co: Kopelson Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 5, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 28, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $67.5M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround