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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 71% 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 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. Rated: 5/5 Jan 3, 2023 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) 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. Rated: 5/5 Dec 27, 2022 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) 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. Oct 18, 2016 Full Review Vernon Young The Hudson Review 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. Jan 18, 2024 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com if youre tiring of jump-scares and monster masks, The Queen of Spades is almost certainly the best ghost story youve never seen Rated: 4/5 Feb 19, 2022 Full Review Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl ... full of big ideas and grand feelings along with the psychological intrigue and hint of the supernatural that give this film a special edge. Rated: 8/10 Oct 19, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (21) audience reviews
Audience Member 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, Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Don't remember much of it. Wasn't an impressive one I guess. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Great atmosphere in a fine British chiller--An Ace Pushkin adaptation!! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member It can be annoyingly uneven at times, but there is something intoxicating about "The Queen of Spades." Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member A period piece mixed with a ghost story and a romance, all of them melded together to create an extremely watchable (if at times corny) film. The lack of emphasis on unnaturally juicing up the tension makes the descent into madness more effective. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Queen of Spades

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The Queen of Spades

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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