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The Queen of Spades

Play trailer Poster for The Queen of Spades 1949 1h 35m Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, this creepy drama tells the tale of Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans), an elderly woman who sold her soul to the devil in order to always win at cards. Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook), an embittered Russian soldier, becomes obsessed with discovering her secret and also finds himself smitten by her beautiful young companion, Lizaveta Ivanova (Yvonne Mitchell). As Suvorin gets closer to the truth, his quest takes an unforgettably eerie turn.

Critics Reviews

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Donald Clarke Irish Times 01/03/2023
5/5
A score by the great Georges Auric nags and needles, but Dickinson is also at home to eerie silences. Walbrook does something bleaker and frostier with his chiselled good looks than he later managed for Powell in The Red Shoes. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 12/27/2022
5/5
The visual style is baroque horror noir (lots of tilted camera angles), and the central performance from Anton Walbrook as the desperate Captain Herman positively buzzes with pressure-cooker intensity. Go to Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) 10/18/2016
The story develops a morbidly exciting grip thanks to the maniacally superstitious Walbrook and Evans's otherworldly chill -- the funeral scene alone will make you jump. Go to Full Review Vernon Young The Hudson Review 01/18/2024
Although it would be invidious to slight the multiple skills that organized the complex wonders... it must be allowed that their manifold efforts would have missed fruition without the compelling performances of Anton Walbrook and Edith Evans. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 02/19/2022
4/5
if youre tiring of jump-scares and monster masks, The Queen of Spades is almost certainly the best ghost story youve never seen Go to Full Review Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl 10/19/2019
8/10
... full of big ideas and grand feelings along with the psychological intrigue and hint of the supernatural that give this film a special edge. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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g j Apr 1 I found all the characters deeply unlikeable and related most to the antagonist. This made it difficult to be invested in the story. See more 03/07/2022 The story is kind of interesting but the main character is not likeable and the ending was not a surprise which somewhat spoilt the film. Its watchable but disappointing, See more 03/07/2020 Don't remember much of it. Wasn't an impressive one I guess. See more 08/31/2014 Wow. This is a very neat discovery, a rather obscure one, might I add. A military officer from the Russian army wants to discover the secret to winning at cards and is willing to, so to speak, sell his soul to get it. This is actually slow-burn horror film. It doesn't feel like a horror film for the most part. It builds on a few scares and there's a supernatural element to it. I don't want to give it away since part of the fun is in the unfolding. I didn't know what to expect from this so I was kept on my toes a lot of the times. It paid off quite well. Anton Walbrook, once again, is brilliant in the leading role, as well as Edith Evans. See more 05/02/2012 Great atmosphere in a fine British chiller--An Ace Pushkin adaptation!! See more 09/13/2011 It can be annoyingly uneven at times, but there is something intoxicating about "The Queen of Spades." See more Read all reviews
The Queen of Spades

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Cast & Crew

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Thorold Dickinson

Director

Anton Walbrook

Capt. Herman Suvorin

Edith Evans

The Old Countess Ranevskaya

Yvonne Mitchell

Lizaveta Ivanova

Ronald Howard

Andrei

Mary Jerrold

Old Varvarushka

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The Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades (1949) The Queen of Spades (1949) The Queen of Spades (1949) The Queen of Spades (1949) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, this creepy drama tells the tale of Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans), an elderly woman who sold her soul to the devil in order to always win at cards. Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook), an embittered Russian soldier, becomes obsessed with discovering her secret and also finds himself smitten by her beautiful young companion, Lizaveta Ivanova (Yvonne Mitchell). As Suvorin gets closer to the truth, his quest takes an unforgettably eerie turn.
Director
Thorold Dickinson
Producer
Anatole de Grunwald
Screenwriter
Rodney Ackland
Genre
Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 20, 2017
Runtime
1h 35m