Desperately Seeking Susan

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Desperately Seeking Susan

PG-13

1985

1h 44m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan (Madonna). When one of Susan's ads proposes a rendezvous with her suitor (Robert Joy) at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags along. But when her voyeuristic jape ends in permanent memory loss and a new jacket, Roberta begins to gather a lot of unwanted attention from some unsavory characters.

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Critics Consensus

Desperately Seeking Susan works with its fairy tale depiction of New York and the fun, frothy chemistry generated by its two leads.

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Madonna remains the movie’s megawatt performance and drips with the knowing charisma of a star whose time has come.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 21, 2024

Full Review

David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

A few scenes are very funny, but the picture would have worked much better if Seidelman had thrown away half the dialogue and built some momentum.

Dec 31, 2019

Full Review

Kirk Ellis

The Hollywood Reporter

An attractive, energetic young cast and some witty, off-center visual humor make the resultant laughs more than worth the wait.

Apr 9, 2019

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Blessed with the right script and cast, Seidelman crafts the perfect tone – a grounded whimsy that allows the fairy tale elements to take flight.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

This modern bohemian take on the classic screwball comedy (complete with amnesia, mistaken identity, and a stolen treasure treated as second-hand jewelry) is also a great time capsule of the New York street culture of the 1980s.

Apr 6, 2024

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

...rough-edged and willing to be weird; its interiors and lighting are more extreme, its characters are grittier...

May 24, 2023

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Karolina K

I watched this movie for the first time a couple of days ago. It was a fun throw back to the 80’s. So many miscommunications in a world without cell phones and social media. The story was kind of cute. I really enjoyed Aidan Quinn in it especially. I think Patricia Arquette did a great job too. Madonna was fine. It definitely was 80’s weird in parts. Like you know the kind of weirdness that was present in the 90’s. Like really random, strange things that are kind of messy and eclectic. It’s not a bad thing. Kind of charming actually. It’s what I love about the 80’s.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/11/25

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Farah R

A movie that must’ve worked better in the time it was released, Desperately Seeking Susan’s strange script and unbelievable story make it less enjoyable for today’s audience.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/01/25

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Leaburn O

A really good 80s comedy caper. Not the funniest but has a light film and quite a tight plot for a screwballish film. Madonna and Arquette are both very good. Watched on Amazon Prime.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is a great snapshot of the '80s. It's the best movie Madonna ever did. She's essentially playing a version of herself. This is early Madonna before she became the Madonna. Great cast all around including Aiden Quinn and of course Rosanna Arquette

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

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Isla D

One of my favorite movies! It's suspenseful and mysterious, with lots of plot twists and characters. Very good movie

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

Koi P

A fun, lighthearted, and entertaining movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/18/24

Full Review

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Susan Seidelman

Director

Rosanna Arquette

Roberta Glass

Madonna

Susan

Aidan Quinn

Dez

Mark Blum

Gary Glass

Robert Joy

Jim

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Synopsis

New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan (Madonna). When one of Susan's ads proposes a rendezvous with her suitor (Robert Joy) at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags along. But when her voyeuristic jape ends in permanent memory loss and a new jacket, Roberta begins to gather a lot of unwanted attention from some unsavory characters.

Director: Susan Seidelman
Producer: Sarah Pillsbury, Midge Sanford
Screenwriter: Leora Barish
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.4M
Runtime: 1h 44m

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