The Piano Teacher

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The Piano Teacher

R

Released Mar 29, 2002

1h 58m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

92 Reviews

81%

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10,000+ Ratings

Erika Kohut teaches piano at the Conservatory in Vienna. In her early forties, she lives at home, cooped up with her mother, whose influence Erika escapes only on her regular visits to porn cinemas and peepshows. Her sexuality is an affair of morbid voyeurism and masochistic self-mutilation. Erika and life travel separate paths. Until one day, one of her students gets it into his head to seduce her...

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Critics Consensus

Though it makes for rather unpleasant viewing, The Piano Teacher is a riveting and powerful psychosexual drama.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

This is a film, European arthouse to its core, that seemed to look back at Hollywood’s “erotic thriller” boom — Basic Instinct, Body of Evidence, Eyes Wide Shut — and say: “Pah, that’s nothing.”

Rated: 5/5

Jun 10, 2025

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

The film still holds the same fraught charge it did a quarter of a century ago.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 9, 2025

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Ambitious, profoundly articulate, and despite its avoidance of sentimentality and sermonising, very compassionate.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 3, 2025

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Although he is retired, Michael Haneke's films remain a beacon of hope in Cinema. Here is a true filmic poet with wisdom and insights that become crystal clear through his provocative and controversial films.

Rated: FIVE STARS

Jul 5, 2025

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Susan Sontag

Artforum

Not Haneke’s best film, but Isabelle Huppert is stupendous.

May 2, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Isabelle Huppert outdoes herself.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 3, 2021

Full Review

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TripleStryke B

I cannot say I "enjoyed" The Piano Teacher in the typical sense, but it is an extremely good film. The story is disturbing and provocative in multiple ways and Huppert's acting was outstanding. If you like movies that let you interpret the underlying thoughts and motivations behind the main characters this is for you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

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Alyssa K

I can’t say I enjoyed this movie or will ever watch it again, but it delivers what it claims to deliver. The acting, atmosphere, and music create an uncomfortable feeling throughout the whole movie, which in turn keeps the viewer engaged to see what is going to happen next.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

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Marcia B

I kept waiting for something more to happen in order to justify watching till the end. I found her cruel, desperate and thought she should be in a psychiatric hospital, not a teacher of young adults. Walter was so normal in his reactions to her. The ending was left to the viewer I suppose. Not knowing if she went to the Emergency room or she just went home.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

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kurt s

I guess it’s some sort of French artistic production. However, the movie makes absolutely no sense. She’s obviously a psychopath and needs professional counseling. He’s just a confused young man who gets hooked up with a crazy woman. I don’t see much sense of the movie. If you Want to waste two hours of your life By all means watch this movie. I kept expecting it to get better, unfortunately, it never did.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

Full Review

Scott M

Enjoyed it. A very cold and intellectual woman who is very repressed sexually. Usually these films are made about men, not women, so most people won't like this movie. I can't give it top marks because I felt like it was missing something.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

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Maximo F

This was one of the most unpleasant and booring things i have watched in my entire life

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/21/24

Full Review

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Michael Haneke

Director

Isabelle Huppert

Erika Kohut

Annie Girardot

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Benoît Magimel

Walter Klemmer

Anna Sigalevitch

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Synopsis

Erika Kohut teaches piano at the Conservatory in Vienna. In her early forties, she lives at home, cooped up with her mother, whose influence Erika escapes only on her regular visits to porn cinemas and peepshows. Her sexuality is an affair of morbid voyeurism and masochistic self-mutilation. Erika and life travel separate paths. Until one day, one of her students gets it into his head to seduce her...

Director: Michael Haneke
Screenwriter: Michael Haneke, Elfriede Jelinek
Distributor: Artificial Eye, Kino Pictures, MK2 Diffusion, Alta Classics S.L. Unipersonal
Production Co: Les Films Alain Sarde, Le Studio Canal +, Arte, MK2 Productions, Centre National de la Cinematographie, Eurimages, Arte France Cinema
Rating: R (Language|Aberrant Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.0M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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