Allan C
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.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/09/25
Full Review
Mike P
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
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
06/09/24
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Alec B
The performances and the direction sustain the movie longer than you might think but at a certain point it inevitably just becomes too silly.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/27/24
Full Review
Matthew D
A fascinating portrayal of the perils of being a single woman.
Franco-Swiss director Barbet Schroeder's psychological erotic thriller Single White Female (1992) is riveting! I miss erotic thrillers from the 90's. Single White Female is as intense and engrossing as Basic Instinct, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, or The Crush. Schroeder bears heavy hearted characters with emotional waves crashing over them with a flourish of stylish direction. Single White Female is brilliant.
Author John Lutz' story is really intriguing with twins, roommates, cheating lovers, and an eerie voyeurism to the whole affair. The writing is smart about obsession and manipulation. Lutz and screenwriter Don Roos demonstrate how sleazy men cheat, harass, and lie to try to get women in bed, while women can manipulate in their own way like gaslighting. Schroeder displays an innocent heroine getting acquainted with a seemingly sweet new roommate, only to find out she is a dangerous, obsessive manipulator. Allison Jones' software failsafe to ensure payment from deadbeat employers is actually genius and I don't get how that is not used more by contractors in real life.
Barbet Schroeder's direction is neat with tons of setups like Chekhov's Gun that get paid off later during the scary moments. From puppies to memories of twins or broken elevators, everything pays off in the end. Schroeder feels like he's referring to Ingmar Bergman's Persona, Roman Polanski's The Tenant and Rosemary's Baby, Alfred Hitchcock, and old film noir. You can even see In a Lonely Place playing on television at night. Gloria Graham is probably the reference to Allie's friend Graham and Hedy is likely named after Hedy Lamarr. I kept thinking of Leave Her to Heaven. You easily see how Single White Female could have influenced Gone Girl.
Editor Lee Percy has a sleek cutting style that makes Single White Female a brisk 107 minutes. He brings a smooth style like cinematographer Luciano Tovoli's haunting lighting and eerie panning shots. The way he pairs the two women next to one another to show how similar they resemble each other is neat. I love seeing the colorful moody lighting in 90's movies. Tovoli uses shadows so strikingly with these seductive and tasteful nude and nighttime shots of the actresses. In the black silhouettes, Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh look identical. Casting director Howard Feuer really found two actresses who really look alike and can play both shy and seductive at a moment's notice.
Bridget Fonda is wonderful as Single White Female's sympathetic heroine Allison "Allie" Jones. Fonda is gorgeous and sorrowful with a fantastic frightened performance. Allie feels real and kind-hearted with neat confidence as a beautiful working woman getting her life together. I was really rooting for her to survive this horrific event. Jennifer Jason Leigh is amazing as the unhinged Hedra "Hedy" Carlson. Leigh's disturbed and possessive Hedy is a fascinating character study. She's very cute and terrifying all at once. Leigh is one of the greatest actresses of Gen X and Single White Female is a superb display of her acting prowess. Her lovable, shy Hedy transforms into a vicious and violent psychopath. Jennifer Jason Leigh is one of cinema's best slasher villains and femme fatales in Single White Female.
Steven Weber is a total creepy sleaze as Allie's cheating boyfriend Sam Rawson. Peter Friedman's pleasant actor friend to Allie named Graham Knox is a scream. I found Stephen Tobolowsky's fashion business owner Mitchell Myerson truly disgusting as the lecherous man in power with no morals and heinous expectations. The dog and cat look adorable.
Production designer Milena Canonero creates a neat, rich New York apartment. Art direction from James F. Truesdale and P. Michael Johnston leans into shadowy lighting cascading into the apartment with soft blue lights. They emphasize the creepy atmosphere with shadows everywhere. At some point you can hardly tell which actress is which in the dark. Anne H. Ahrens' lavish set decoration makes the apartment very cozy and ornate.
Composer Howard Shore's film score is haunting. He adds a leering gravitas and heavy darkness to the film. Shore's music is always magnificent and contributes to Hedy's judgment of Allie returning back to a man who cheated on her or the frightening attacks. His softer melodic score is wondrous with a sublime calmness to it. Sound designers Gary Rydstrom, Richard Beggs, Gloria S. Borders, Tom Johnson, Tim Holland, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Ethan van der Ryn, Robert Shoup, Ken Fischer, Marilyn McCoppen, Don Hall, and E. Jeane Putnam let phones echo in the distance and voices echo across apartments.
Costume designers Milena Canonero and Eileen Kennedy create all these fashionable suits, sultry dresses, and expensive earrings. Make-up artists Matthew W. Mungle and Lizbeth Williamson do their best to match the pink lipstick and blush for Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Candace Neal's hairstyling is crucial to Single White Female being believable with that fun red bob wig or haircut.
In short, Single White Female is enthralling with very empathetic lead acting from Bridget Fonda. I loved the eerie and entertaining performance from supporting actress Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/22/23
Full Review
Steve D
Jennifer Jason Leigh is one of the most underrated actresses alive. She makes this a blast. It works better than Fatal Attraction for me.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Nice 90s movie that could have been a lot better with a great director, still this film is solid and many movies in the future tried to copy it.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/08/22
Full Review
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