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Heavenly Creatures

Play trailer Poster for Heavenly Creatures R 1994 1h 39m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 107 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Wealthy and precocious teenager Juliet (Kate Winslet) transfers from England to Christchurch, New Zealand, with her family, and forms a bond with the quiet, brooding Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) through their shared love of handsome big screen tenor Mario Lanza and games of make believe. But when their parents begin to suspect that their increasingly intense friendship is becoming unhealthy, the girls decide to run away to America, hatching a dark plan for those who threaten to keep them apart.
Heavenly Creatures

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Dark, stylish, and captivating, Heavenly Creatures signals both the auspicious debut of Kate Winslet and the arrival of Peter Jackson as more than just a cult director.

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Critics Reviews

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Stella Bruzzi Sight & Sound 05/16/2023
A beautifully choreographed descent into the realm of the personal and therefore the inexplicable. Go to Full Review
Jami Bernard New York Daily News 05/16/2023
4/4
A film as fascinating as the obsessive friendship it depicts. Go to Full Review
Geoff Brown The Times (UK) 05/16/2023
The film explores their minds with wonder and sympathy, plotting the course of an intense relationship that traps the girls in their own fantasies. Go to Full Review
Karl Puschmann New Zealand Herald 08/05/2024
Heavenly Creatures is a haunting film that stays with you. It’s dark and disturbing and strangely beautiful. Like a lonely walk through a solitary park on a brisk Christchurch afternoon in June. Go to Full Review
Malinda Lo AfterEllen.com 05/01/2024
As it is, watch Heavenly Creatures for excellent acting and direction, but not for its portrayal of lesbianism. Go to Full Review
Barbara Vancheri Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 05/16/2023
It's disturbing but powerful stuff. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Mo S. @9mr_0 3d فلم جميل جدا و الممثلين ابدعوا بتجسيد الشخصيات و المخرج ابدع بتصوير الخيلات و الواقع See more Lorenz L Aug 31 Ah, yes! Just what we all need! A morality fable for matricidal teenage lesbians! Perhaps we can just chalk it up to age: at 31, it’s not holding up well. See more Bernard M Aug 25 Excellent film based on a true story. Fabulous performances and writing. The set design really captures the feel of 50’s New Zealand. I am not an admirer of Peter Jackson’s work but this film is outstanding in all aspects. See more Eric W. @Jtuess Aug 13 I believe this is Kate Winslet’s first feature film. It’s no wonder Peter Jackson went on to become a celebrated director. Actual true stories that can be proven make my stomach churn. See more Dani G Jul 23 The transition to cinematic maturity of Peter Jackson and a lovely young Kate Winslet in this rather obscure teen drama See more Blu B 08/13/2024 All Time Classic. It's like someone took Tim Burton & Sam Raimi and merged them together, you'd get this. It's a dark drama, comedy, and fantasy mixed together in one of the most surreal things I've seen. The bizarre frantic camerawork, amazing fantasy scenes, and just very quirky original scenes in general are almost unforgettable overall. If I can find one fault the acting is really good but Kate Winslet is incredible in this and no one comes up to her level of energy and obsession. whenever it just involves Pauline it's not as riveting but fortunately the two are together the majority of the time. It's amazing how surreal, charming, and twisted this can be and never feels out of place. Everyone should give this a try once. See more Read all reviews
Heavenly Creatures

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Wealthy and precocious teenager Juliet (Kate Winslet) transfers from England to Christchurch, New Zealand, with her family, and forms a bond with the quiet, brooding Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) through their shared love of handsome big screen tenor Mario Lanza and games of make believe. But when their parents begin to suspect that their increasingly intense friendship is becoming unhealthy, the girls decide to run away to America, hatching a dark plan for those who threaten to keep them apart.
Director
Peter Jackson
Producer
Jim Booth
Screenwriter
Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Distributor
Miramax Films, Miramax Home Entertainment [us]
Production Co
Miramax Films
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 16, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$870.8K
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround, Stereo