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Single White Female

Play trailer Poster for Single White Female R 1992 1h 47m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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53% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Having recently split from fiancé Sam Rawson (Steven Weber), Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) welcomes new roommate Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The young women quickly form a bond, but as Allison starts to rethink her engagement, Hedra grows jealous and hostile. As Allison learns new details about her roommate's life, Hedra gets violent in her efforts to get Sam out of the picture. With Hedra turning more menacing by the minute, Allison finally understands what she's up against.
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Single White Female

Single White Female

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Critics Consensus

Single White Female benefits from a pair of outstanding leads, neither of whom are well served by a storyline that wavers between thrillingly tense and utterly ridiculous.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek 02/09/2018
The formula betrays the fine work of Leigh and Fonda, whose characters are much too interesting to find themselves stranded in a tony but ultimately tired slasher movie. Go to Full Review
Matt Mueller Empire Magazine 04/14/2008
3/5
What Schroeder lacks in character development, he more than makes up for in mood and atmosphere, honing the creepy grandeur of the ominous, shadowy Manhattan apartment building with all the pinpoint perfection. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 04/14/2008
There's something dehumanizing about 90s horror thrillers that all but defeats the film's impulses toward seriousness; no matter how much the filmmakers work to make the characters real, the genre contrives to turn them into functions and props. Go to Full Review
Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast 12/30/2020
2.5/5
Doesn't hold up as well as you'd expect, and the strong performances from Leigh and Fonda can't overcome a weak screenplay. Go to Full Review
Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media 01/09/2020
2/5
Intense, sexual, violent tale of worst roommate ever. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 12/21/2018
2/4
Ultimately goes easy on the psychological character studies and heavy on the slasher-film stylistics. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Eye C @ECinc Jan 10 It doesn’t aged very well, it’s ok, but I remembered much better. It’s interesting and stressful the craziness of the roommate. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Jun 18 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Spike D @Spike93 Jun 7 A psychological thriller where someone hurts an animal. How original. See more Allan C Feb 9 Outside of BASIC INSTINCT, this is probably the best of the spate of trashy 90s erotic thrillers. Okay, okay, BOUND and THE LAST SEDUCTION are way better, but they both subvert the genre, whereas SINGLE WHITE FEMALE and BASIC INTINCT are pure, unironic examples of it. It's also worth noting that Brian DePalma had been making these sorts of thrillers since the 70s, with SISTERS, DRESSED TO KILL, and BODY DOUBLE. In this film, 90s business gal Bridget Fonda takes in roommate Jennifer Jason Leigh after breaking up with her cheating boyfriend, Steven Weber. Jason Leigh then becomes obsessed with Fonda to bonkers extremes. Her obsession reaches heights that border on parody, but I'm pretty sure the filmmakers and actors thought they were making a sexy Hitchcockian thriller. Directed by Barbet Schroeder, who made the sharp-witted REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, the darkly funny biopic of Charles Bukowski BARFLY, the underrated and somewhat forgotten crime thriller KISS OF DEATH, as well as a series of fine French films before moving to Hollywood, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE does stretch credulity and reaches some new heights of ridiculousness, but the Fonda and Jason Leigh (both spotting very odd wigs) are fantastic and fully commit to their bonkers roles. Schroeder treats the tawdry material as if it were REPULSION or DON'T LOOK NOW. Throw in the great character actor Stephen Tobolowsky as a creepy sexually harassing boss, who strangely (SPOILER ALERT!) gets a hero-turn in the film's climax between the warring roommates, a fine score by the consistently excellent Howard Shore (THE FLY, LORD OF THE RINGS), and fantastic photography from Italian cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, who's worked with the likes of Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Dario Argento, how could you not love this trashy delight? FUN FACT! Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda's fathers, Vic Morrow and Peter Fonda, respectively, play adversaries in DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY. See more Mike P 06/09/2024 Solid formula thriller deserves better than a 58% Approval Rating!! Allie (aka Bridget Fonda) brakes up with Sam (Steven Webber) and is left alone in their giant NYC loft; needing a roommate. Unfortunately the girl she chooses to be her roommate, Hedra, (Jennifer Jason Leigh), is a codependent psycho; who immediately starts to take over her life; a la All About Eve. Hedra misses her long lost twin... And wants Allie to be the replacement...but that's another story. This one is stylish, effective and brilliantly acted, with many effective scenes and nice NYC location work which evokes classics like Rosemary's Baby. It is predictable, but so what? It works. Recommended See more Alec B @Alec97 02/27/2024 The performances and the direction sustain the movie longer than you might think but at a certain point it inevitably just becomes too silly. See more Read all reviews
Single White Female

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Single White Female

Single White Female: Official Clip - Don't Make Me Leave You Single White Female: Official Clip - Don't Make Me Leave You 2:13 Single White Female: Official Clip - Hedy's Makeover Single White Female: Official Clip - Hedy's Makeover 2:03 Single White Female: Official Clip - Death by Stiletto Single White Female: Official Clip - Death by Stiletto 2:11 Single White Female: Official Clip - Killer Heels Single White Female: Official Clip - Killer Heels 2:13 Single White Female: Official Clip - I'm Like You Now Single White Female: Official Clip - I'm Like You Now 2:13 Single White Female: Official Clip - I've Been Worried Sick Single White Female: Official Clip - I've Been Worried Sick 2:12 Single White Female: Official Clip - Don't Make Me Come Get You Single White Female: Official Clip - Don't Make Me Come Get You 2:11 Single White Female: Official Clip - Bad Timing Single White Female: Official Clip - Bad Timing 2:09 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Having recently split from fiancé Sam Rawson (Steven Weber), Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) welcomes new roommate Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The young women quickly form a bond, but as Allison starts to rethink her engagement, Hedra grows jealous and hostile. As Allison learns new details about her roommate's life, Hedra gets violent in her efforts to get Sam out of the picture. With Hedra turning more menacing by the minute, Allison finally understands what she's up against.
Director
Barbet Schroeder
Producer
Barbet Schroeder
Screenwriter
Don Roos
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Columbia Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 1992, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$46.2M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround
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