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Pretty Poison

Pretty Poison

Crime · Drama · Romance · 1968

A troubled arsonist spins a tale of espionage to a captivating girl, who becomes enthralled and entangled in his dangerous fantasies, leading to unexpected murder and chaos that change their lives forever.

Movie details

Pretty Poison

“What Brought A Nice Kid Like Sue Ann To A Shocking Moment Like This?”

1968 Crime · Drama · Romance 1h 29m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

A troubled arsonist spins a tale of espionage to a captivating girl, who becomes enthralled and entangled in his dangerous fantasies, leading to unexpected murder and chaos that change their lives forever.

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 Pretty Poison?

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

Noel Black

Written by

Lorenzo Semple Jr.

Anthony Perkins

Anthony Perkins

Dennis Pitt

Tuesday Weld

Tuesday Weld

Sue Ann Stepanek

Beverly Garland

Beverly Garland

Mrs. Stepanek

John Randolph

John Randolph

Morton Azenauer

Dick O'Neill

Dick O'Neill

Bud Munsch

Clarice Blackburn

Clarice Blackburn

Mrs. Bronson

Joseph Bova

Joseph Bova

Pete

Court is in session

Put Pretty Poison on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“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.