Teorema (Theorem)

Teorema (Theorem) (1968)

  • 89% of critics liked it
    (19 reviews)

  • 80% of users liked it
    (3,765 ratings)

Terence Stamp is known only as "The Visitor" in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema. The mysterious stranger insinuates himself into the home of a wealthy Italian family, where he exerts a curious, sensual spirituality over everyone in the household. He then proceeds to seduce everyone in… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
Sep 7, 1968 Wide
Continental Motion Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    The narrative, almost silent in the first half, is unusually clear for a film by Pasolini. Performance by all members of the cast are praiseworthy, though Stamp dominates the first half and Betti, the second.

  • , Time Out

    What would be pretentious and strained in the hands of most directors, with Pasolini takes on an intense air of magical revelation.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    The movie itself is the message, a series of cool, beautiful, often enigmatic scenes that flow one into another with the rhythm of blank verse.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    I don't feel ready to write about this mysterious film; perhaps, a week from now, I'll decide it is very bad, a failure. But perhaps it is the most brilliant work yet by that strange director, Pier Paolo Pasolini.

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    Apart from his final feature, Salo, this is probably Pier Paolo Pasolini's most controversial film, and to my mind one of his very best.

Read all 17 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Greg S


    A mysterious young buck visits a wealthy household, makes love to the father, son, mother, wife, and housekeeper and then leaves; all of them are lost without him and fall into separate strange tragedies. Another dry and dull, and inexplicably influential, experiment from Italian… More

  • Aditya G


    Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema" had me dumbfounded! It was one of those rare instances where I was unable to formulate a clear opinion of what I thought about it. For one, this minimalist picture from the controversial filmmaker has "art-house" written all… More

  • Stefanie C


    Arresting and profound! The film begins with the ending. Stamp acts as an awakener to the pseudo-existence of the bourgeoisie. Stamp's character can be summarized by a Nick Cave lyric: I found god and all of his devils inside h(im). The second half of the film, or upon… More

  • Universal D


    A very Christian rumination: what is the meaning of life? Pasolini poetically, lyrically offers the Book of Ecclessiates by Solomon (" ... everything is vanity ") for consideration. Made in the Sixties it reflects some of the counter- cultural ideas that were sweeping… More

  • AJ V


    Another strange movie from Pasolini, about a strange visitor and the strange things he does like having everyone fall in love with him! Interesting concept, but the end falls flat, and it's not clear at all.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

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