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The Plumber

Play trailer The Plumber 1980 1h 16m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Be careful whom you hire to fix your home. In this early offering from acclaimed director Peter Weir, handyman Max (Ivar Kants) worms his way into the apartment of married couple Jill (Judy Morris) and Brian (Robert Coleby). Scaring Jill with tales of his dark past, Max parks himself in the house for several days, doing less and less work as the hours grind on. The terrified Jill is reluctant to anger Max, although she realizes she must eventually find the strength to eject him.

Critics Reviews

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Tim Brayton Alternate Ending It's perhaps no more than an exercise in psychological tension... but it's a good exercise. Rated: 3.5/5 May 26, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A one-joke black comedy, that plays out as a nightmare. Rated: B- Sep 8, 2011 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Peter Weir in a joking mood Mar 15, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The archetypes and power dynamics on display in this movie still feel sadly relevant circa 2020: Disgruntled blue collar man vs. naive intellectual woman. Ivar Kants is very good at making the title character menacing, especially when joking/not joking. There are vaguely surreal bits, like the work being done in the bathroom, that keep the film's tone less realistic, and therefore lighter, than it otherwise would be if it focused solely on the nasty conflict that develops between the two characters. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review delysid d its a classic film about a creepy plumber. a classic of nasty trash movies Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/17/20 Full Review Audience Member Peter Weir's dark comedy is short and sweet. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Peter Weir directed this oddball TV movie thriller for his homeland Australian audiences. A creepy plumber "fixes" the plumbing at an apartment building, but his creepy benavior escalates to stalking and a weird bit of cat and mouse between him and one particular female tenant. Not exactly a classic for Weir, but it's interesting enough black comedy and you can see some seeds of the great filmmaker he'd become. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Next time it might be better to do it yourself. A metaphor for socio-economic disparity and distrust. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member good low budget thriller Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Plumber

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The Plumber

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Movie Info

Synopsis Be careful whom you hire to fix your home. In this early offering from acclaimed director Peter Weir, handyman Max (Ivar Kants) worms his way into the apartment of married couple Jill (Judy Morris) and Brian (Robert Coleby). Scaring Jill with tales of his dark past, Max parks himself in the house for several days, doing less and less work as the hours grind on. The terrified Jill is reluctant to anger Max, although she realizes she must eventually find the strength to eject him.
Director
Peter Weir
Producer
Matthew Carroll
Screenwriter
Peter Weir, Harold Lander
Production Co
Australian Film Commission
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 9, 2005
Runtime
1h 16m