Twisted (2004)

2% of critics liked it
(133 reviews)
39% of users liked it
(18,131 ratings)

Philip Kaufman directs the detective thriller Twisted (originally to be titled The Blackout Murders), with a script by up-and-coming filmmaker Sarah Thorp. Ashley Judd plays troubled police detective Jessica Shepard, who works under the jurisdiction of the man who raised her as his daughter, police… More Philip Kaufman directs the detective thriller Twisted (originally to be titled The Blackout Murders), with a script by up-and-coming filmmaker Sarah Thorp. Ashley Judd plays troubled police detective Jessica Shepard, who works under the jurisdiction of the man who raised her as his daughter, police Commissioner Mills (Samuel L. Jackson). While investigating a serial murder case, Jessica -- who is has a proclivity for dangerous, drunken one-night-stands -- discovers that all of the victims are men whom she's recently bedded. Complicating matters are her bitter ex-boyfriend (Mark Pellegrino), her very curious therapist (David Strathairn), and her odd-behaving new partner Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Philip Kaufman
Written By: Sarah Thorp
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 27, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 31, 2004
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

, Chicago Reader
This thriller seems most interested in lingering over battered and bloodied male faces.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
The outdated, cliche-riddled direction is so inept and indifferent that it's hard to believe Twisted was lensed by the same Philip Kaufman who made The Right Stuff.
Jorge Morales, Village Voice
A suspense thriller without thrills or suspense.
Charles Taylor, Salon.com
Judd is let down by Twisted because tearful, confused victim doesn't come naturally to her; she's not fun to watch suffer if you can't see her calculating the payback.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
This movie plays like they were reading [Roger Ebert's] little movie glossary and they took every cliche in there.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Gives new meaning to the word 'obvious.'
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Numbingly predictable, inept, and boring.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
At least the performances are solid.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia and David Strathairn all are wasted.
Peter T. Chattaway, Christianity Today
Overcooked dialogue, some wildly implausible story devices, and a dearth of remotely likable characters, and Twisted is a crime story that just doesn't pay.
Gina Carbone, Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine)
Twisted is so bad I'm embarrassed to have seen it and therefore am a bit ashamed to write even an unkind review.
, Time Out
Sarah Thorpe's screenplay is a compendium of by-the-book clichés; Kaufman's direction leaves the material stranded in a limbo between po-faced and trashy; Judd's approximation of drunkenness is worrying to behold.
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
Just like nearly all of Judd's past entries in the genre, this film isn't great, it's just average.
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
The plot turns are increasingly preposterous, as are the metaphors.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Judd, Jackson and Garcia's work is pedestrian at best. But they did accept this script.
Tony Medley, tonymedley.com
I didn't go to sleep and only looked at my watch a couple of times, so I guess it wasn't terrible.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Twisted is a thriller only a misogynist could love.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Director Philip Kaufman's commentary provides lots of detail about the storyline (a bit too much, perhaps), plus plenty of observations on the filmmaking process.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Remember kids, alcohol is bad, mmm-kay?
Anna Smith, Empire Magazine
The movie may dole out a few guilty pleasures, but you won't believe a word of it.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Thomas J

Who done it? Typical in you know there is "twist" coming, but still enjoyable. Something felt very 1990s about the whole movie.
Lewis C

Twisted is your typical thriller that has a obligatory, game-changing twist at the end. Ashley Judd is as gorgeous as always, while Garcia and Jackson phone-in performances that really don't require a lot of effort from them. There's nothing new here, and the… More
Twisted is your typical thriller that has a obligatory, game-changing twist at the end. Ashley Judd is as gorgeous as always, while Garcia and Jackson phone-in performances that really don't require a lot of effort from them. There's nothing new here, and the "why" of the murders wasn't really explained to my satisfaction, but whatever. You know if you like these kinds of movies or not, and if you you do, then Twisted is worth watching on TV (or picking up at the store for $5, like I did).
Luke B

A film with a lot of talent which can't get over a very bad script. First of all it throws out some excellent ideas of how everyone is a killer, it's just about control, but soon gets swept away with "could it be him?" crapness. Constantly it sheds a shadow over… More
A film with a lot of talent which can't get over a very bad script. First of all it throws out some excellent ideas of how everyone is a killer, it's just about control, but soon gets swept away with "could it be him?" crapness. Constantly it sheds a shadow over characters, all except one. Could this one person be the killer? You decide. The performances are great, especially Strathairn and Garcia but they have no other purpose than to be suspects in a film more focussed on giving a "never see it coming twist" than a logical conclusion. Some laughable dream sequences round out this poor attempt at psychological horror.
Julie B

This featured some of the most spectacularly bad acting I've seen in quite some time.
Dean M

This ridiculous thriller, with a "mystery" that's obvious from the start, sullies the reputations of its talented director and cast.
Curt C

About as pedestrian as they come.
d j

I enjoyed this because I got to watch for free from netflix. Ashley Judd can do better...this movie was lame
Sunil J

Ashley Judd got way too stuck in the thriller genre with this movie.
Doctor S

Not awful, just awfully stupid.