Eye of the Beholder

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Eye of the Beholder

R

1999

1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

9%

Tomatometer

88 Reviews

32%

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10,000+ Ratings

British spy Steve Wilson (Ewan McGregor), known as "The Eye" to his employers, is trailing Paul Hugo (Steven McCarthy) for an assignment when he witnesses Paul being murdered by his girlfriend, Joanna Eris (Ashley Judd). Haunted by the breakup of his marriage and by his absent daughter, Lucy (Ann-Marie Brown), Steve notices Joanna's resemblance to his child and decides to protect her. As Joanna wanders the United States, Steve follows and destroys evidence of her multiple killings.

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Critics Consensus

Improbable and muddled.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

As misogynistic as anything I've seen in ages, it's tricked up with enough fancy cinematography (by Guy Dufaux) to guarantee it sub-Hitchcockian credentials of the sort that some reviewers eagerly hand out to Brian De Palma.

Mar 6, 2007

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Time Out

The result is compellingly bonkers.

Jan 26, 2006

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Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Remove the directorial flash and filigree, and its narrative would be easier to track.

Jul 21, 2005

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Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

Neo-noir & near enough a bore.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 16, 2021

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Gary Arnold

Washington Times

A pointless and trifling mystery fable.

Rated: 0/4

Jan 24, 2018

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Adam Lippe

Examiner.com

You're unlikely to see a scene as weird as the one where McGregor beats up Judd's blind fiance, as a way to warn him that she'll kill him. That seems counter-intuitive, but nothing in Eye of the Beholder reeks of anything near the notion of intuition.

Aug 12, 2010

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ShawBarrie A

I watched this movie when I was fourteen and it has stuck with me the last 26 years, but not in a good way. I was just here with my teenage crush on Ewan, promised this amazing film and got a bunch of flimflam. It thinks it’s smarter than it is. The only thing I can deduce from the premise is that he fell in love with her after watching her for years and went rouge for some reason. I’ve only seen it once, but it was so bad it stuck with me.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/18/25

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Frans B

Very confusing movie. Pity the cast, who are all VERY capable and talented, could not make more of it. Well, you run what you're brung, and if you have to work with this kind of script, there is no way it will run, does not matter the talent expected to perform. Sad really. Could have been great if it made just a little more sense, if it had coherence . So many loose ends and seemingly irrelevant occasions makes for vague and indifferent movie

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/05/25

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Anna P

The leads are wonderful actors doing their best with what they were given.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

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Hurtin F

Easily the finest piece of cinema to come out of the 90s. Jason Priestly as a bad boy is absolutely brilliant, not hammy at all, and completely believable. Ewan McGregor's best work since Train Spotting and not at all awkward or weird, and Ashley Judd was simply incredible.. Her best scene in the entire movie was when she got K'd the F out. I actually half wonder if he made contact in that punch, irl, and whether it was the first scene shot, it might then explain her exceedingly peculiar performance, and even more peculiar crying the entire film. KD Lang's staunch heterosexuality was on display and then some. It bordered on toxic masculinity, and whatever the next notch up on that totem pole is. Definitely a must see.. 5/5 would never watch it a second time. 10/5 I wish my eyes didn't sting so bad from the bleach I had to pour in them whilst watching this cinematic marvel.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/13/24

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Royal T

Maybe the worst movie made this century. Too many plot holes to mention. Terribly directed and spliced together. Ashley Judd was never a threat to win any acting awards, and this may be her at her worst. This movie would rank badly as an after-school special made in the 80's.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/07/23

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Jelisije J

A movie that had so many interesting ideas and concepts, but when you combine 6 different ideas into one movie you will ultimately get a bloated mess of a film.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Stephan Elliott

Director

Ewan McGregor

Stephen Wilson

Ashley Judd

Joanna

Patrick Bergin

Alex Leonard

k.d. lang

Hilary

Jason Priestley

Gary

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Synopsis

British spy Steve Wilson (Ewan McGregor), known as "The Eye" to his employers, is trailing Paul Hugo (Steven McCarthy) for an assignment when he witnesses Paul being murdered by his girlfriend, Joanna Eris (Ashley Judd). Haunted by the breakup of his marriage and by his absent daughter, Lucy (Ann-Marie Brown), Steve notices Joanna's resemblance to his child and decides to protect her. As Joanna wanders the United States, Steve follows and destroys evidence of her multiple killings.

Director: Stephan Elliott
Producer: Tony Smith, Nicolas Clermont, Tony Smith
Screenwriter: Marc Behm, Stephan Elliott
Distributor: Destination Films
Production Co: Ambridge Film Partnership, Village Roadshow Prod., Behaviour Worldwide, Filmline International, Hit & Run Productions, Eye of the Beholder Ltd.
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Brief Drug Content|Strong Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.5M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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