White of the Eye

R

1988

1 hr. 50 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

50%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Joan White (Cathy Moriarty) is informed by the police that her husband, Paul (David Keith), a soundman who specializes in high-end audio systems, might be responsible for a series of gruesome murders in their Arizona community. As Paul's behavior turns violent, she begins to suspect her husband's guilt. In flashback, we see how Paul seduced Joan away from her then-boyfriend Mike (Alan Rosenberg), and the hunting trip Mike and Paul took that changed their relationship forever.

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Audience Member

Really B rated movie. The cinematography was absolutely laughable. I thought "is this movie made by a high school student? Someone taking film classes in college?" Everything about it was really, really bad. I guess people who watch only horror movies could sort of like this.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Donald Cammell reportedly spent his childhood on the knee of Aleister Crowley, he went from a painter to a writer to a director. While a good chunk of his career was confounded by trying to make multiple movies with Marlon Brando, he did leave us with Demon Seed, Performance and this movie before killing himself with a shotgun. Rich young women keep getting killed in Globe, Arizona and this movie in no way skimps from the horrific carnage that they are treated to. Even though this is from 1987, it's still shocking. The first kill has an incredible 55 cuts in two minutes and twenty seconds, making it seem even more violent than it is. Detective Charles Mendoza to visit Paul White, a sound expert to the rich and famous that is able to make an echo that he hears inside the air cavities of his head — yes, Cammell definitely made this — and that's how he picks where the speakers go in each room. Paul stole his wife Joan from an old friend Mike on a hunting trip in which he mutilated a deer and covered his face in its blood. Again, Cammell definitely made this movie. Oh yeah — and Mike is haunting the couple, ten years older and walking. the streets constantly eating peanut butter and claims he has the ability to see the past and future, which may come in handy because Paul has definitely been murdering women and hiding them in his bathroom, explaining to his wife when he's caught that the universe has picked him because its heart is female and destructive like a black hole and demands destruction. And also because…you know who made this movie. Paul then decides to lock his wife in the basement, dress in Kabuki makeup with a vest covered with explosives and chases his wife, daughter and even Mike into a cave where he keeps making his echo sound to please himself and further explains how the universe wants him to kill women. Yeah — you know that I totally loved this absolutely berserk movie. For all Brando screwed with Cammell professionally, he did take the time to write a letter to the MPAA to ensure that this didn't get an X rating. So there's that, I guess.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It doesn't take long to figure out this is not your run-of-the-mill thriller. The off-kilter dialogue, editing, and plot structure give the film a distinctively menacing quality that burrows under the viewer's skin and never quite leaves. Disturbing from start to finish, White of the Eye is a refreshingly modern noir that deserves a wider audience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Outstanding that so many critics dont like this gem. This film is unique.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not as much of a slasher as I was expecting, but it was interesting. David Keith is great in it, and the interplay with other characters and developingâ??relationships make it more engaging than it had any right to be.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Better than average slasher flick from the 80's. Not too over-the-top in terms of the violence but keeps you guessing the whole way through.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Donald Cammell

Director

David Keith

Paul White

Cathy Moriarty

Joan White

Art Evans

Detective Charles Mendoza

Alan Rosenberg

Mike Desantos

Michael Greene

Phil Ross

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Effectively gruesome thanks to its portrait of an unassuming madman, White of the Eye is a testament to Cammell's particular skills as a unique auteur.

Oct 20, 2020

Full Review

Hilary Mantel

The Spectator

It is a violent and ambitious thriller.

Apr 9, 2019

Full Review

Johnny Butane

Dread Central

The bottom line is that you have to see this movie.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 13, 2006

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Nov 9, 2005

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 2/5

Oct 9, 2005

Full Review

Andy Klein

Los Angeles CityBeat

Rated: 5/5

Mar 24, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Joan White (Cathy Moriarty) is informed by the police that her husband, Paul (David Keith), a soundman who specializes in high-end audio systems, might be responsible for a series of gruesome murders in their Arizona community. As Paul's behavior turns violent, she begins to suspect her husband's guilt. In flashback, we see how Paul seduced Joan away from her then-boyfriend Mike (Alan Rosenberg), and the hunting trip Mike and Paul took that changed their relationship forever.

Director: Donald Cammell
Production Co: Mrs. White's Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Sound Mix: Surround

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