What's the Matter With Helen?

Play trailer

What's the Matter With Helen?

R

Released Jun 30, 1971

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

41%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

After their sons are convicted of homicide in a highly publicized trial, Midwesterners Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters) begin receiving threatening phone calls and decide to begin their lives anew in Hollywood, Calif. They open a dance school for young girls, and, while the business succeeds, their troubles continue. Helen becomes dangerously neurotic and increasingly clings to Adelle, who longs to marry the wealthy parent (Dennis Weaver) of one of her students.

Tom Milne

Financial Times

I wouldn't exactly claim What's the Matter With Helen? as a masterpiece, but I haven't enjoyed myself so much in months.

Mar 19, 2020

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Sight & Sound

What's the Matter with Helen? provides considerable pleasure -- not least in the performances of Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters as the heroines, and Michael MacLiammbir's scene-stealing, histrionically sinister drama teacher.

Feb 12, 2020

Full Review

Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

The layers of pastiche that fuel What's the Matter with Helen? multiply like Shelly Winters's titular character's fat white rabbits.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 20, 2005

Full Review

Dilys Powell

Sunday Times (UK)

Agnes Moorehead as an Aimee McPherson-type gospeller contributes some happy moments; and with Luclen Ballard's evocative camerawork to help the nineteen-thirties setting, a hideously enjoyable time is had by all.

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

Richard R. Harmetz

Los Angeles Free Press

The adrenalin flows, the audience gasps but [director Curtis] Harrington ends up with a good, not an excellent horror movie.

Jan 10, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The same thing that's wrong with Helen, is what's wrong with this pic%u2014it's too loony to be taken either seriously or humorously.

Rated: C+

Apr 17, 2009

Full Review

Read all reviews

Tim S

Thoroughly entertaining film. It pulls you in. Great performances from Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds. Interesting plot twists and turns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Failure in 1 hour and 41 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

Full Review

Daniel C. M

Great production value and acting with a fine story, though it's buried in 100-different layers of camp, which, at a certain point, starts to devolve from a positive attribute to a bad one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

Full Review

Blobbo X

No one better Shelley Winters when come act bonkers. Good cast, fair plot and direction. (Maybe deserve more stars, Blobbo feel down.)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

Dave S

When Adele (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters), the mothers of two boys convicted of murder, leave smalltown Iowa to start a new life in Los Angeles, they find that their troubles have not been left behind. What's the Matter with Helen? is part mystery, part thriller, and, strangely enough, part musical. The production values are decent, Winters hams it up as only Winters can and Reynolds does a decent enough job tagging along as her sidekick, but the movie is ultimately dragged down by the inclusion of far too many scenes and shots that simply don't need to be there, most of them dance numbers to show off Reynolds' considerable dance skills or children tap dancing their way into the hearts of the audience. It's not all bad, but it is all weird.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I liked this movie. It has a Hitchcock, Tales From The Crypt Kind of vibe.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Curtis Harrington

Director

Debbie Reynolds

Adelle Bruckner

Shelley Winters

Helen Hill

Dennis Weaver

Lincoln Palmer

Micheál MacLiammóir

Hamilton Starr

Agnes Moorehead

Sister Alma

Blow Out

88%

81%

Blow Out

Watchlist

Dressed to Kill

83%

74%

Dressed to Kill

Watchlist

Play Misty for Me

85%

72%

Play Misty for Me

Watchlist

Night Moves

78%

72%

Night Moves

Watchlist

The Legend of Lylah Clare

60%

39%

The Legend of Lylah Clare

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

After their sons are convicted of homicide in a highly publicized trial, Midwesterners Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) and Helen (Shelley Winters) begin receiving threatening phone calls and decide to begin their lives anew in Hollywood, Calif. They open a dance school for young girls, and, while the business succeeds, their troubles continue. Helen becomes dangerously neurotic and increasingly clings to Adelle, who longs to marry the wealthy parent (Dennis Weaver) of one of her students.

Director: Curtis Harrington
Producer: George Edwards
Screenwriter: Henry Farrell
Distributor: United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Filmways Pictures
Rating: R (Some Violence/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1971, Original
Release Date (DVD): Sep 5, 2006
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Mono