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Affliction

Affliction

Crime · Drama · Mystery · 1998

A small town policeman must investigate a suspicious hunting accident. The investigation and other events result in him slowly disintegrating mentally.

Movie details

Affliction

“Like father like son...?”

1998 Crime · Drama · Mystery 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A small town policeman must investigate a suspicious hunting accident. The investigation and other events result in him slowly disintegrating mentally.

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 Affliction?

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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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Paul Schrader

Written by

Paul Schrader

Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte

Wade Whitehouse

Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek

Margie Fogg

James Coburn

James Coburn

Glen Whitehouse

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe

Rolfe Whitehouse

Mary Beth Hurt

Mary Beth Hurt

Lillian

Jim True-Frost

Jim True-Frost

Jack Hewitt

Marian Seldes

Marian Seldes

Alma Pittman

Court is in session

Put Affliction 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.