Murderous Maids (2000)

91% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(136 ratings)

This fact-based film follows the infamous Papin sisters, Christine (Sylvie Testud) and Lea (Julie-Marie Parmentier), who lived in France in the 1930s. Christine is protective of Lea, a wide-eyed youngster. As Christine's relationship with her mother deteriorates completely, she goads Lea into… More This fact-based film follows the infamous Papin sisters, Christine (Sylvie Testud) and Lea (Julie-Marie Parmentier), who lived in France in the 1930s. Christine is protective of Lea, a wide-eyed youngster. As Christine's relationship with her mother deteriorates completely, she goads Lea into shunning her mother as well. The pair eventually find work as maids and soon indulge in a passionate affair with each other that inevitably leads to murder.

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Jean-Pierre Denis
Written By: Jean-Pierre Denis, Michele Halberstadt
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 19, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Sep 23, 2003
Studio: Rialto Pictures

Critic Reviews

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
Though far from a feel-good affair, it is never cheap or cynical. Its creepiness is well-earned.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Testud is the burning center of a clinically dispassionate film.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Made with spellbinding clarity and tact, shot near the actual locations by an uncompromising cinema realist, and featuring a near-perfect cast.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The story makes for an absorbing drama that builds in intensity, heading toward the ultimate outburst with a grim sense of inevitability.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Troubling and powerful.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
As the dominant Christine, Sylvie Testud is icily brilliant.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The acting is convincingly macabre, with Sylvie Testud giving an absolutely superb delirious performance.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Good performances and a firm directing hand make this worthwhile despite the distasteful subject matter.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Sylvie Testud is nothing less than ferocious...Even in her stillness, she's compelling.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
The DVD includes insightful interviews with the director and star.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
Its unevenness can be forgiven due to the boldness of dealing with such a taboo topic matter ,and despite all of its problems, this film makes for a fascinating 90 minutes.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
The quality of the film and the performances carry this release.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
Newspaper stories or television coverage on murders far removed from the local scene accomplish as much, and are often as quickly forgotten
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
provocative but a bit flat
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
One wonders if they'll make similarly sympathetic films about O.J. Simpson in 70 years.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
Spare but quietly effective retelling.
Josh Larsen, Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
...salaciously simplistic.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
Highly recommended as an engrossing story about a horrifying historical event and the elements which contributed to it.
Frank Ochieng, Movie Eye
Denis and co-writer Michele Petin's impeccable screenplay penetrates with a rawness that that is both unflinching and tantalizing. Lead provocatuers Testud and Parmentier give superlative performances
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
The dreamy, almost poetic nature is entrancing.

Read all 22 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

Disturbing true-life tale of madness that resulted in the brutal murder of a woman and her daughter by their maids, two sisters. Sylvie Testud plays Christine, the elder sister who harbors an unnatural attraction for the less intelligent, younger Lea (Julie-Marie Parmentier) that… More
Disturbing true-life tale of madness that resulted in the brutal murder of a woman and her daughter by their maids, two sisters. Sylvie Testud plays Christine, the elder sister who harbors an unnatural attraction for the less intelligent, younger Lea (Julie-Marie Parmentier) that develops into obsession. The film develops slowly, at times revealing the anger that lies just below the surface in Christine, and at other times showing how the two girls feed each other's fantasies about how their lives would be under other circumstances. Add in a mother (Isabelle Renaud) who seems to care little about her daughters other than how they can make her life easier. The acting is credible, the script plausible and the action keeps one engrossed, especially that of the two sisters interaction when they are alone in their room. The violence at the end is graphic and brutal, but mercifully off camera for the most part. We see the blows and hear them connect, but the actual impact is just out of the frame. There can be no doubt that Christine has taken leave of her senses by the end of the film, and one feels pity for her for that reason. This is a well-done film, just not a whole lot of fun to watch.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic][color=gray]Whenver I'm reviewing a movie, I always make a conscious decision to give away as little as possible while at the same time summarizing the themes of the movie and most importantly telling you whether or not I liked it. "Murderous Maids"… More
[font=Century Gothic][color=gray]Whenver I'm reviewing a movie, I always make a conscious decision to give away as little as possible while at the same time summarizing the themes of the movie and most importantly telling you whether or not I liked it. "Murderous Maids" does indeed concern 1) maids & 2) murder. The only mystery to viewers unfamiliar with the real life crime is under what circumstances the crime will be committed.[/color][/font] [color=#808080]"Murderous Maids" starts out with a flashback to a less than idyllic childhood as the Papin sisters are being sent to be raised in a convent.(Much is intimated about the disfunctional Papin family structure but very little is explicitly stated.) Emilia escapes the familial cycle by becoming a nun. Christine(Sylvie Testud) soon follows her mother into domestic service as a maid, even though she does have a problem with holding down a job for very long. Her little sister, Lea(Julie-Marie Parmentier), soon follows and joins Christine on a couple of jobs. Christine rebels against the notion of ever being married. She has always felt that she has had to look out for her younger sister but now the relationship becomes unhealthy when Christine does not only seek to form any outside friendships but also to prevent her sister from doing so, also. And then it gets disturbing...[/color] [color=#808080]I did like "Murderous Maids", especially with Sylvie Testud anchoring the movie with a great performance as someone constantly on the verge of losing her sanity.(Her similarily great performance in "Fear and Trembling" took some of the same emotions and moved them in a comic direction.) I thought the family history could have been detailed better but the movie succeeds by focusing on the relationship of the two sisters and does not seek to sensationalize or romanticze any of it. I am slightly disappointed that the movie missed a chance at being more of a political statement than it occasionally hinted at.[/color]

Cast

See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started

Murderous Maids (2000)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

Walter M

Cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!