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Death and the Maiden

Play trailer Poster for Death and the Maiden R 1994 1h 43m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Paulina Escobar (Sigourney Weaver) is convinced that the guest (Ben Kingsley) her lawyer husband (Stuart Wilson) brings home is the same man who who kidnapped, tortured and raped her years ago. Holding him captive at gunpoint, she repeatedly attacks him and demands that he confess his crime. Her husband tries to stand by his wife and her claims, but he begins to doubt her story and the claims. She forces her husband to represent the guest in a mock trial that she devises.
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Death and the Maiden

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Critics Consensus

With its claustrophobic setting heightening the tension and seasoned stars doing excellent work, Death and the Maiden is prime Polanski.

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Critics Reviews

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Kim Newman Empire Magazine Even by their high standards, the performances of Weaver and Kingsley here are impressive, and Polanski ratchetts up the tension nicely. A chilling and thought-provoking piece. Rated: 4/5 Feb 19, 2010 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Polanski certainly gets the maximum voltage and precision out of his story and actors, keeping us preternaturally alert to shifting power relationships and delayed revelations. Feb 19, 2010 Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety Kingsley shrewdly tantalizes the viewer about his identity, and gets to deliver the text's most riveting monologue at the end. The lesser-known Wilson may be the first among equals, impressing strongly as the equivocating husband. May 26, 2008 Full Review Tom Hutchinson Radio Times Outstandingly well played by Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley, the effective three-hander succeeds because of a dreadful electricity sparking between the two leads, while Stuart Wilson, as her husband, tries not to get burned. Rated: 4/5 Nov 11, 2025 Full Review Quentin Crisp Christopher Street Miss Weaver plays the victim with quite astonishing intensity, and deals with Mr. Kingsley in a manner that is quite convincing. Apr 21, 2022 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Polanski manages to size the fundamental components of the mystery and suspense so that the atmosphere of the film is sinister in some scenes. But what I see hardly captivates me. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 6/10 Jul 20, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Romas M Greetings from Lithuania. "Death and the Maiden" (1994) is a thriller staring Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and Stuart Wilson, It is set in one location and focuses on one key event, which i won't spoil for everyone who haven't seen this movie yet. This is a tense thriller with great performances by all three involved - they all did terrific job. Directing by Roman Polanski was also good as it at its running time 1 h 40 min i wasn't bored and was involved into it. This movie isn't an action thriller by any means and is more of a character study movie. The ending was very good and not generic in my opinion. Overall, i liked "Death and the maiden" because it is not a typical thriller. It is based on a popular play that run many decades ago, and you can feel that it is all based on a play - one location, hand of characters and plenty of dialogs. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/10/25 Full Review Alain E Three people in an isolated house, with the electricity coming and going, close to the raging sea, are struggling to clarify the complex relationships they had in the past and which threaten their current existence. Polanski at his best! Appears to have been nicely restored. Not a date movie, unless you are in a sadomasochistic relationship. Ben Kingsley deserved an Oscar for assholiness. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review thiago s 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 Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/11/25 Full Review Alonso V Sigourney Weaver is amazing in this dark thriller directed by the master Polanski. Great ending. Ben Kingsley is impressive. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/31/24 Full Review Sams K Perfect performance by the actors. A great movie that keeps the tension high! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/02/24 Full Review Alex L Impressive performance from the main cast. Thrilling story Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/14/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Death and the Maiden

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Movie Info

Synopsis Paulina Escobar (Sigourney Weaver) is convinced that the guest (Ben Kingsley) her lawyer husband (Stuart Wilson) brings home is the same man who who kidnapped, tortured and raped her years ago. Holding him captive at gunpoint, she repeatedly attacks him and demands that he confess his crime. Her husband tries to stand by his wife and her claims, but he begins to doubt her story and the claims. She forces her husband to represent the guest in a mock trial that she devises.
Director
Roman Polanski
Producer
Josh Kramer, Thom Mount
Screenwriter
Ariel Dorfman, Rafael Yglesias
Distributor
Fine Line Features
Production Co
Fine Line Features, Capitol Films
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 23, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 14, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.1M
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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