Angels and Insects (1995)
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71% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
60% of users liked it
(2,529 ratings)
A 19th-century British naturalist falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, but he soon discovers that her family's perfect facade disguises unexpectedly grim secrets. Director and co-screenwriter Philip Haas's adaptation of A.S. Byatt's Morpho Eugenio eschews… More A 19th-century British naturalist falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, but he soon discovers that her family's perfect facade disguises unexpectedly grim secrets. Director and co-screenwriter Philip Haas's adaptation of A.S. Byatt's Morpho Eugenio eschews the usual gentility of Victorian period pieces in favor of subtle creepiness. The unsettling mood is emphasized by the film's detailed attention to its protagonist's scientific endeavors, which center on the study of insects and their behavior. In fact, it is his love of insects that brings William (Mark Rylance) to the well-heeled Reverend Alabaster (Jeremy Kemp), who takes a personal interest in William's welfare when a shipwreck leaves William practically penniless. William is welcomed into the Alabaster home, and he resumes his entomological studies while courting the reverend's daughter, Eugenia (Patsy Kensit). Close-up glimpses of insect society parallel this aristocratic world and hint at the dark secrets with which William soon becomes unexpectedly familiar. As in Haas's previous film, The Music of Chance, an unusual, highly symbolic filmmaking approach creates an effective drama, with the potentially detached intellectualism balanced by unusual characterizations and an absorbing attention to detail. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Directed By
- Philip Haas
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1995 Wide
- Studio
- MGM Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A notch above the dry, analystic and tedious films that Philip Haas usually makes, largely due to acting of Kristin Scott Thomas and explicit sexuality.
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Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Possibly the most boring film about incest ever.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Angels & Insects is a piercing drama about the mysteries of science and human passion.
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
I enjoyed it, even if it creeped me out quite a bit.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Mark Rylance
as William Adamson
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Kristin Scott Thomas
as Matty Crompton
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Patsy Kensit
as Eugenia Alabaster
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Jeremy Kemp
as Sir Harold Alabaster
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Douglas Henshall
as Edgar
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Annette Badland
as Lady Alabaster
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Anna Massey
as Miss Mead
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Stephanie Ann Smith
as Dancer
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John Walter White
as Tailor
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John Jenkins
as Ralph Blackwood
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Claire Brown
as Child Servant
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Graham Glover
as Pallbearer
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Chris Larkin
as Robin
