Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver, Stuart Wilson

On a stormy night, at a secluded beach house, somewhere in Latin America, a chance encounter with Dr. Roberto Miranda leads to an intense confrontation with Paulina Escobar who was subjected to system...( read more  read more... )atic torture fifteen years ago and now believes that she may have found the man responsible. Once Miranda is her captive, the lines between justice and revenge begin to blur. How far will Paulina go to settle her score? And how can she be sure, after so many years, that she has taken the right prisoner?

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77% liked it

1,615 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

34 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Release Date: June 1, 1995

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DVD Release Date: June 3, 2003

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Stats: 223 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (223)


  • February 4, 2009
    During a dictatorship in an unnamed latin american country, Paulina (Sigourney Weaver) was a dissident activist who was tortured in horrible ways and kept alive in order to confess the names of her comrades. Many years later, her husband arrives with a new friend, and she seems t...( read more)o recognize the stranger's voice as the man who inflicted her all that suffering.

    Gripping stage bound psychological thriller that grows in intensity with each passing minute and conveys all the agony, anxiety, fear and thirst for revenge of a martyr who's now having her turn on the reins.

    Excellent triad of actor.
  • March 25, 2008
    Good acting, slow-paced but never boring. Sigourney keeps it together.
  • November 7, 2007
    An excellent drama. Sigourney Weaver plays a disturbed, paranoid ex-political prisoner in an unnamed South American country, married to a lawyer (Stuart Wilson) heading an investigation into allegations of torture under the old regime. She believes she recognises a chance visitor...( read more) to their home (Ben Kingsley) as a man who raped and tortured her during her incarceration. A fascinating game with constantly shifting alliances ensues as she attempts to extract a confession of guilt from her captive 'guest'. All three lead performances are superb but Stuart Wilson excels, oozing flawed dignity as the idealistic but cowardly husband.
  • September 5, 2007
    this one was really well done. weaver and kingsley work well together. highly recommended.
  • August 15, 2007
    A raw and rough character-driven piece. Sigourney Weaver is wonderfully powerful as the woman turning the tables by taking hostage the man who raped and tortured her (Ben Kingsley). It doesn't get too nasty. The situation is very interesting.
  • September 9, 2009
    To this day I still don't know if everything that happens is in Sigourney Weaver's mind...and that's what makes Roman Polanski still one of the best directors around.
  • April 23, 2009
    Well done cat and mouse, dialogue driven thriller.
  • March 23, 2009
    Ariel Dorfman's hit stage play. all cast 4 stars.
  • February 10, 2009
    amazing performances by all Weaver is off the hook!
  • November 12, 2008
    Review will be written when/if re-watched (Probability: Zero).

    First viewing: 20.01.2003

Critic Reviews


May 31, 2003
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Polanski's gripping Death and the Maiden shows that, long before Sexy Beast, Ben Kingsley had already proved himself adept at playing psychotic madmen. full review

View more Death and the Maiden reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Death and the Maiden Trivia


  • He directed Rosemary's Baby, starring his wife, and Death and the Maiden, just to name a couple, but can not come back to the U.S. as he will be arrested.  Answer »
  • In this movie Sigourney Weaver plays a woman who was tortured and became free, then later met the man who did it to her and got her revenge.  Answer »
  • Who does Sigourney Weaver terrorize in "Death and the Maiden"?   Answer »
  • Who does Sigourney Weaver terrorize in "Death and the Maiden"?   Answer »

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