Last Seduction (1994)

94% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(5,542 ratings)

Director John Dahl's The Last Seduction is an updated film noir centering around a seductive, cheerfully lethal femme fatale. Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) talks her gullible, easily manipulated, doctor-husband Clay (Bill Pullman) into pulling off a $700,000 drug deal to pay off his gambling… More Director John Dahl's The Last Seduction is an updated film noir centering around a seductive, cheerfully lethal femme fatale. Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) talks her gullible, easily manipulated, doctor-husband Clay (Bill Pullman) into pulling off a $700,000 drug deal to pay off his gambling debts. But while Clay is in the shower, Bridget quietly leaves with the money. She ends up in a bar in a small town where she meets Mike (Peter Berg) and uses him to further her scheme to keep the money and get rid of her inconvenient husband. Linda Fiorentino was championed by many critics for a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, but neither she nor the movie could be nominated since the film had made its debut on cable television. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: John Dahl
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jun 18, 1994 Wide
On DVD: Nov 19, 2002
Studio: October Films

Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson, Washington Post
The movie is a spirited attempt at modern film noir, and huge parts of it are enjoyable.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
What Sharon Stone did for the ice pick, Linda Fiorentino does for the ice princess.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
It's an entertaining and caustically humorous thriller if you like that sort of thing.
David Stratton, Variety
[A] well-paced, cleverly written and quite diabolical thriller.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Mr. Dahl was good to begin with, and now he's badder and better.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Dahl has fun with this material, filming the modern-day noir potboiler with such gusto that it's impossible not to fall under its spell, nor under the influence of its sultry, completely conscienceless leading lady.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Not since Kathleen Turner set her sights on William Hurt in Body Heat, has seduction and manipulation been showcased better than in this raunchy page turner
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
An updated noir thriller that decisively puts the fatale back into femme fatale.
Ben Reynolds, Film4
Fiorentino lights up this stylish noir classic and breaths new, menacing life into the femme fatale role. Barbara Stanwyck would be proud.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Linda Fiorentino turns in a sharp performance as perhaps the screen's nastiest femme fatale, ever.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
An amoral black comedy-noir with a selfish and ruthless heroine (wonderfully played by Linda Fiorentino) that joins the ranks of Mary Astor (Maltese Falcon) Stanwyck(Double Indemnity), and Kathlees Turner (Body Heat).
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
[A] tortuous, well-acted, witty, crisply photographed and immensely enjoyable thriller.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Post Tarantino noir with simmering wit.
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine
Dahl's best film to date with twists galore and an energised performance from Fiorentino.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
The film celebrates the appeal of evil
Brandon Judell, PopcornQ
A lushly vile Fiorentino makes this a must see.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
A delight to watch.

Read all 17 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Alice S

Quite chilling and zingy, but I'm slightly conflicted about Bridget's feminist rhetoric. I found myself liking her because she takes what she wants at whatever cost, but then I realized I was glorifying a sociopath. Is it feminist or unfeminist to like a woman because… More
Quite chilling and zingy, but I'm slightly conflicted about Bridget's feminist rhetoric. I found myself liking her because she takes what she wants at whatever cost, but then I realized I was glorifying a sociopath. Is it feminist or unfeminist to like a woman because she's evil and damn good at it? Can we, as a gender-conscious society, like a "strong" female character only if she's also villainized? Sidebar: Doesn't Linda Fiorentino look like Lauren Bacall in that movie poster? I don't know if that's an implied reference to film noir, and as such, why every other review calls this film a neo-noir. I personally didn't see much film noir elements. It seems more screwball black black black comedy.
Tim S

Wonderful performance from Fiorentino.
Michael S

One of the underrated films of all time! A perfect film noir. *On my "best of the 1990s" list.
Dean M

This thriller film carries on with the treacherous world of relationships, dopey guys and narrative subterfuge.
Alec B

Director John Dahl and actress Linda Fiorentino accomplish a very difficult task; to make you simultaneously empathize with and despise the character of Bridget Gregory. Probably one of the best femme fatale's to ever grace the screen.
Deb S

This film is based around the ultimate femme fatale, Linda Fiorentino who is totally believable as a sexy and manipulative b*tch. The story is clever and smart, very enjoyable, right up to the end where you can't help but feel sorry for anyone that tries to stop her getting her… More
This film is based around the ultimate femme fatale, Linda Fiorentino who is totally believable as a sexy and manipulative b*tch. The story is clever and smart, very enjoyable, right up to the end where you can't help but feel sorry for anyone that tries to stop her getting her way. This movie reveals that if a woman has both beauty and brains, and decides to use both to get what she wants, there is no stopping her. Peter Berg is good as the backwater boy who gets taken for a ride. The whole culture clash of city chick meeting country blumpkin is very amusingly done. The husband is Bill Pullman. He gives a terrific performance. Woken up at night by a gun-toting intruder who claims he is a burglar, Pullman blinks and says wearily, "I thought you were the new interior decorator." There are many memorable lines, intelligently written! Plot: Wife steals megabucks from husband and takes off. Husband finally tracks down wife and tries to get money back. Wife cold-bloodedly seduces innocent man into helping her.
Brian R

Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino), a sexy, savvy hustler, swindles husband Clay (Bill Pullman) out of $700,000 and then runs off to find a new patsy who'll help cover her tracks -- by murdering Clay. Fiorentino is enchantingly wicked as the cold-blooded beauty who uses men like… More
Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino), a sexy, savvy hustler, swindles husband Clay (Bill Pullman) out of $700,000 and then runs off to find a new patsy who'll help cover her tracks -- by murdering Clay. Fiorentino is enchantingly wicked as the cold-blooded beauty who uses men like toys. Fiorentino's performance is one of the greatest villians roles I have ever seen. It is amazing and poignant seeing a female villian so cold and so ruthless toying with the men, manipulating them into her own doings, and getting away with it while laughing behind their backs and throwing them out like pieces of washed up meat. Ladies if you are reading this go and see this film and afterwords cheer for Linda Forentino.
Daisy M

The last seduction must have been one of the best thrillers during the 1990's with one of the best female acts I've ever seen. Linda Fiorentino did a remarkable job as the femme fatale stealing her husband's drug money. It was all about lies, taking advantage of people… More
The last seduction must have been one of the best thrillers during the 1990's with one of the best female acts I've ever seen. Linda Fiorentino did a remarkable job as the femme fatale stealing her husband's drug money. It was all about lies, taking advantage of people and hidden secrets.Bill Pullman played an interesting character as the husband trying to track down his wife. But it was Peter Berg, who stood out in the movie as the young man falling in love with Fiorentino, and ofcourse Linda Fiorentino herself who steals this movie. Every scene with those two in entertained, both on a comedy and dramatic and the sex scenes were amazing, all thanks to the great directorial hand by John Dahl. Peter Berg had an interesting face accompanied by a terrific sense for acting, giving his character the extra sensitive touch the movie required. This is a movie that will stand the test of time, it started a bit slow in the begining but catched up very quickly.
Jonny C

One of the finest movies of the 90's.
Christopher B

Great follow up to Red Rock West by the usually reliable Dahl. This is also a tribute to film noir with one of the greatest femme fatales in history. This was originally made for cable, but like with RRW it was so good they gave it a small theatrical release. A must see.
Adam M

Cool film about a woman who gets her doctor husband to make a dodgy cocaine deal then runs off with the money to middle America where she lies and double-crosses to get her way.Linda Florentino is brilliant as the complete bitch!