The Plumber

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The Plumber

1980

1h 16m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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3 Reviews

60%

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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.

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

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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

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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

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Audience Member

Peter Weir's dark comedy is short and sweet.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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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

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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

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Audience Member

good low budget thriller

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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Peter Weir

Director

Judy Morris

Jill Cowper

Ivar Kants

Max

Robert Coleby

Brian Cowper

Candy Raymond

Meg

Henri Szeps

David Medavoy

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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