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.
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Wanda
Drama · Crime · 1970
After a string of abusive relationships, Wanda abandons her family and seeks solace in the company of a petty criminal.
Movie details
Wanda
1970 Drama · Crime 1h 43m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.8 / 10
Community rating
After a string of abusive relationships, Wanda abandons her family and seeks solace in the company of a petty criminal.
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 Wanda?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe 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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A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.
The United States of Leland
Crime · 2003
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.
Cleveland Abduction
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A single mother becomes Ariel Castro's first kidnapping victim, and finds herself trapped in his home with two other women for 11 years.
The Missouri Breaks
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When vigilante land baron David Braxton hangs one of the best friends of cattle rustler Tom Logan, Logan's gang decides to get even by purchasing a small farm next to Braxton's ranch. From there the rustlers begin stealing horses, using the farm as a front for their operation. Determined to stop the thefts at any cost, Braxton retains the services of eccentric sharpshooter Robert E. Lee Clayton, who begins ruthlessly taking down Logan's gang.
The Grissom Gang
Crime · 1971
Violent crime caper set in 1930s Kansas in which a gang kidnap an heiress and attempt to recover a ransom. However, the scheme is jeopardised when the leader falls in love with their beautiful captive.
A Crooked Somebody
Drama · 2018
An attention-seeking psychic is kidnapped and tries to use the situation to boost his popularity.
Paradise Highway
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A truck driver has been forced to smuggle illicit cargo to save her brother from a deadly prison gang. With FBI operatives hot on her trail, Sally's conscience is challenged when the final package turns out to be a teenage girl.
The Betrayed
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Kidnappers force a young mother to recover money stolen by her shady husband.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Barbara Loden
Written by
Barbara Loden
Barbara Loden
Wanda Goronski
Michael Higgins
Mr. Dennis
D
Dorothy Shupenes
Wanda's Sister
P
Peter Shupenes
Brother In Law
J
Jerome Thier
Husband
M
Marian Thier
Miss Godek
Valerie Mamches
Girl in Roadhouse
Court is in session
Put Wanda on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
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.