Alexandra's Project (2003)

50% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(4,577 ratings)

Rolf de Heer's psychological thriller Alexandra's Project captures a turning point in a very unhappy marriage. Steve (Gary Sweet) and Alexandra (Helen Buday) have two children and numerous grievances against each other. After a birthday in which Steve received a birthday cake and a raise at his job,… More Rolf de Heer's psychological thriller Alexandra's Project captures a turning point in a very unhappy marriage. Steve (Gary Sweet) and Alexandra (Helen Buday) have two children and numerous grievances against each other. After a birthday in which Steve received a birthday cake and a raise at his job, Steve arrives home to find his family is gone and a videotape awaiting his viewing. On the tape, Alexandra lists all of her frustrations and begins to strip for the camera. She then reveals that she suffers from breast cancer. Before the now emotionally reeling Steve can recover, he learns that Alexandra has paid to have the neighbor he hates change the locks in the house. Steve is trapped inside with little to do but think about what he has done to his wife, and his only company is the video that continues to provide disturbing information. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Rolf de Heer
Written By: Rolf de Heer
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Dec 19, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Jan 1, 2005

Critic Reviews

Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
It's a contrived -- though carefully crafted -- bit of movie gamesmanship that sometimes seems like a claustrophobic stunt.
Michael Booth, Denver Post
De Heer offers a wicked twist on household secrets and lies.
John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle
De Heer, who also wrote the script, would have us believe that a wife who's tired of her oblivious bloke of a husband could suddenly become conniving and cruel, coolly defending her actions with twisted logic that's sold as feminism.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
It's a movie that will leave few men unrattled and many women vicariously satisfied.
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail
Buday is coolly persuasive in the seesaw role of an unbalanced housewife who jerks from despair to anger.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
That damn videotape takes the edge off the mood both visually and dramatically.
Jean-François Vandeuren, Panorama
Manipulateur et de mauvaise foi.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
nihilistic film covers familiar territory in a fresh new way that is extremely memorable
Eric Campos, Film Threat
It's the tension and performances that pull you through, never letting your attention stray from what's going down on-screen.
Jeremiah Kipp, Filmcritic.com
confidently shot and scripted in clipped, emotionally direct dialogue that's thankfully not resorting to Harold Pinter, David Mamet, or Neil LaBute
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
I Spit on Your Grave gets to the nitty gritty. The equally problematic Alexandra's Project is simply glib.
Angela Baldassarre, Sympatico.ca
Even though the performances are terrific and the claustrophobic atmospherics effective, the film elicits more anger than praise.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
It's really the feel-bad movie of the week. In a genius sort of way.
Kim Linekin, eye WEEKLY
This low-budget Australian film is pitched as a psycho-sexual thriller but it's not thrilling at all: it's just cold, hateful and cheap.
Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday Times (Australia)
An edgy little Aussie thriller that will have husbands shaking in their shoes, Alexandra's Project is a film like no other.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

Good slow-paced, but taut adult psychological thriller. This is a classic case of the man is the evil perpetrator, while the woman is the victim. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows this is false in reality, and both sides of the story must be examined. This film only presents… More
Good slow-paced, but taut adult psychological thriller. This is a classic case of the man is the evil perpetrator, while the woman is the victim. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows this is false in reality, and both sides of the story must be examined. This film only presents Alexandra's demented and deceptive side of the story. Director Rolf de Heer is a genius! Rolf exposes feminism for its sickness and inconsistencies. He is showing how subtle misandry is. This movie is about how sickness can fester inside a deranged woman's mind, and from her perception, she is always right. The narrative is compelling and the film definitely benefices from the marvelous performances of Gary Sweet and Helen Buday, but the material is too implausible and far-fetched.
familiar s

WTF!!! I read the plot-line and was expecting some great mystery. I'd no idea that this will turn out to be so awful. Maybe the worst I've seen this year. It's too slow paced, but that's not where I'd problem. The problem lied in over-exposure. Too much… More
WTF!!! I read the plot-line and was expecting some great mystery. I'd no idea that this will turn out to be so awful. Maybe the worst I've seen this year. It's too slow paced, but that's not where I'd problem. The problem lied in over-exposure. Too much nudity, IMHO. I felt like I was watching some porno. Making things worse, it didn't turn out to be as great that I could feel that it's worth sitting through the slow-paced nudity. However, I'm not sure; some may enjoy it. It simply wasn't my cup of tea.
Megan S

One of those movies where I can't decide whether I liked it or not. Very dark, intense, and graphic. It was definitely unpredictable, that's for sure.
Mark A

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Alexandra (Helen Buday) plans and executes a most intricate birthday present for her husband, Steve (Gary Sweet), that starts off happy enough, but leaves him stunned, angry, and broken. A rollercoaster ride of emotions play out here and the… More
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Alexandra (Helen Buday) plans and executes a most intricate birthday present for her husband, Steve (Gary Sweet), that starts off happy enough, but leaves him stunned, angry, and broken. A rollercoaster ride of emotions play out here and the tension is palpable. We are not sure where this will lead, but hold on tight, because it all makes sense in the end. We may not agree with the final result, but we can at least understand what led up to it. Very well done, and if one listens closely, there might be issues raised that would provoke discussions with one's significant other. Definitely not for the kiddies.
FanGirl B

I can't decide if I like this film or not. It's a really good film I just had a hard time watching it, it's very brutel.