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Pacific Heights

Pacific Heights

Thriller · Drama · Mystery · 1990

A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.

Movie details

Pacific Heights

“They were the perfect couple, buying the perfect house. Until a perfect stranger moved into their lives.”

1990 Thriller · Drama · Mystery 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Pacific Heights?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Killing of a Sacred Deer

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The Tenant

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The Long Goodbye

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Schlesinger

Written by

Daniel Pyne

Melanie Griffith

Melanie Griffith

Patty Palmer

Matthew Modine

Matthew Modine

Drake Goodman

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton

Carter Hayes

Mako

Mako

Toshio Watanabe

Nobu McCarthy

Nobu McCarthy

Mira Watanabe

Laurie Metcalf

Laurie Metcalf

Stephanie MacDonald

Carl Lumbly

Carl Lumbly

Lieutenant Lou Baker

Court is in session

Put Pacific Heights on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.