Death and the Maiden

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Death and the Maiden

R

1994

1h 43m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

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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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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Sams K

Perfect performance by the actors. A great movie that keeps the tension high!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/02/24

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Alex L

Impressive performance from the main cast. Thrilling story

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/14/24

Full Review

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Roman Polanski

Director

Sigourney Weaver

Paulina Escobar

Ben Kingsley

Dr. Roberto Miranda

Stuart Wilson

Gerardo Escobar

Karen Strassman

Actor

Carlos Moreno

Actor

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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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