Never Talk to Strangers

Last updated
Never Talk to Strangers
Never talk to strangers.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Hall
Written byLewis Green
Jordan Rush
Produced by
  • Andras Hamori
  • Jeffrey R. Neuman
  • Martin J. Wiley [1]
Starring
Cinematography Elemér Ragályi
Edited byRoberto Silvi
Music by Pino Donaggio
Production
company
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date
  • October 20, 1995 (1995-10-20)
Running time
86 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.4 million
Box office$6,858,261 [2]

Never Talk to Strangers is a 1995 psychological erotic thriller film directed by Peter Hall and starring Antonio Banderas and Rebecca De Mornay.

Contents

Plot

Psychologist Dr. Sarah Taylor is a guarded, aloof criminal psychologist who interviews a client who is a rapist, and is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. It is later revealed that she was the subject of daily rapes as a child by her estranged father, who is now shown to be very ill. Sarah meets Tony Ramirez in a shopping mall, and she gives him her number. She begins a relationship with Tony, despite the creepy advances of her neighbor, Cliff, with whom she once had a one-night stand.

Days into this new relationship, Sarah begins to get death threats and strange gifts, such as dead flowers. As she gets more romantic with Tony, the gifts get more extreme. Her cat is dismembered which leads to Sarah going to the police. Sarah then hires a detective and has Tony followed, and breaks into his apartment only to discover that he has a file on her, including information about her mother's death in a gun accident, twenty years before. Tony is actually investigating her, trying to learn the whereabouts of a former boyfriend of hers who had disappeared suddenly.

Ultimately, it is revealed that Sarah suffers from multiple personality disorder, brought on from her abuse as a child, and from her father brainwashing her to cover up the murder of her mother. Her alternate personality is responsible for all of the strange gifts, and for murdering her ex-boyfriend. When Tony goes to her father's house, Sarah (under the control of her alternate personality) follows him, shoots and kills him there, and then kills her father when he tries to intervene. When Sarah reverts to her normal personality, not remembering what has happened, she presumes that Tony was crazy and killed her father, and that she killed Tony in self-defense. In the end, she is seen entering into a relationship with Cliff.

Cast

Reception

Never Talk to Strangers received negative reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 15% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 3.60/10. The site's consensus reads: "Never Talk to Strangers -- and never make the mistake of believing this silly stalker mystery is the best available viewing option". [3] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. [4]

Brendan Kelly of Variety wrote: "Never Talk to Strangers is a reasonably entertaining but largely uninspired erotic thriller that's too much a chip off the Fatal Attraction block. The promise of high-impact bedroom aerobics will generate some interest, but the fully clothed drama isn't nearly as enthralling as the steamy scenes, so the pic isn't likely to maintain much [Box Office] ardor." [1] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "mysterious and sexy", adding that it is "enough to keep tension alive until, too bad, the whole thing collapses with a twist ending that is nearly laughable". [5] Caryn James of The New York Times called the film's ending "idiotic" and wrote that Peter Hall, the director, "is obviously more at home with Shakespeare than with this material". [6]

Hal Hinson of The Washington Post praised the director of the film, calling him "legendary", [7] while Time Out called it an "adequate psychological thriller on a topical theme". [8]

Soundtrack

The film features "Love Sick" performed by Alfonzo Blackwell.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dressed to Kill</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Brian De Palma

Dressed to Kill is a 1980 American erotic psychological thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and starring Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson and Nancy Allen. It depicts the events leading up to the brutal murder of a New York City housewife (Dickinson) before following a prostitute (Allen) who witnesses the crime, and her attempts to solve it with the help of the victim's son. It contains several direct references to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca De Mornay</span> American actress

Rebecca De Mornay is an American actress. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she starred in Risky Business. De Mornay is also known for her roles in The Slugger's Wife (1985), Runaway Train (1985), The Trip to Bountiful (1985), Backdraft (1991), and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Banderas</span> Spanish actor (born 1960)

José Antonio Domínguez Bandera, better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received numerous accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Goya Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Griffith</span> American actress (born 1957)

Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. Born in Manhattan to actress Tippi Hedren, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, 17-year-old Griffith appeared opposite Gene Hackman in Arthur Penn's neo-noir film Night Moves. She later rose to prominence as an actor in films such as Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984), which earned her a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Griffith's subsequent performance in the comedy Something Wild (1986) attracted critical acclaim before she was cast in 1988's Working Girl, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her a Golden Globe.

<i>The Last Seduction</i> 1994 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by John Dahl

The Last Seduction is a 1994 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by John Dahl, featuring Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and distributed by October Films. Fiorentino's performance garnered widespread critical acclaim and generated talk of an Oscar nomination, but she was deemed ineligible because the film was shown on HBO before its theatrical release. October Films and ITC Entertainment sued the Academy, but were unable to make Fiorentino eligible for a nomination.

<i>The Double Life of Veronique</i> 1991 film by Krzysztof Kieślowski

The Double Life of Veronique is a 1991 drama film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and starring Irène Jacob and Philippe Volter. Written by Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, the film explores the themes of identity, love, and human intuition through the characters of Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Véronique, a French music teacher. Despite not knowing each other, the two women share a mysterious and emotional bond that transcends language and geography.

<i>The Hunger</i> (1983 film) 1983 British supernatural horror film directed by Tony Scott

The Hunger is a 1983 American erotic horror film directed by Tony Scott in his directorial debut, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1981 novel of the same name by Whitley Strieber, with a screenplay by Ivan Davis and Michael Thomas. Its plot concerns a love triangle between a doctor who specialises in sleep and ageing research (Sarandon) and a vampire couple. The film's special effects were handled by make-up effects artist Dick Smith.

<i>Identity</i> (2003 film) 2003 film by James Mangold

Identity is a 2003 American mystery thriller film directed by James Mangold, written by Michael Cooney, and starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet with Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, and Rebecca De Mornay.

<i>Near Dark</i> 1987 film directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Near Dark is a 1987 American neo-Western horror film co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein. The plot follows a young man in a small Oklahoma town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires.

<i>Single White Female</i> 1992 film directed by Barbet Schroeder

Single White Female is a 1992 American psychological erotic thriller film based on John Lutz's 1990 novel SWF Seeks Same. It stars Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh and was directed by Barbet Schroeder. It follows recently estranged Allison Jones (Fonda), who begins to rent an apartment room to Hedra Carlson (Leigh). After she reconciles with her ex-boyfriend, she begins to find strange patterns of behavior in her tenant.

<i>The Addiction</i> 1995 American horror film

The Addiction is a 1995 American vampire horror film directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St. John. Starring Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco, Paul Calderón, Fredro Starr, Kathryn Erbe, and Michael Imperioli, the film follows a philosophy graduate student who is turned into a vampire after being bitten by a woman during a chance encounter on the streets of New York City. After the attack, she struggles coming to terms with her new lifestyle and begins developing an addiction for human blood. The film was shot in black-and-white and has been considered an allegory about drug addiction and the theological concept of sin.

<i>Raising Cain</i> 1992 American film

Raising Cain is a 1992 American psychological horror thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and starring John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich and Steven Bauer.

<i>The Temp</i> (film) 1993 American film

The Temp is a 1993 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Tom Holland and starring Timothy Hutton, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Faye Dunaway. Its plot follows a troubled businessman whose life is upturned after the arrival of a mysterious female temp worker in his office. Oliver Platt, Dwight Schultz, Steven Weber, and Maura Tierney appear in supporting roles.

<i>Whispers in the Dark</i> (film) 1992 American film by Christopher Crowe

Whispers in the Dark is a 1992 American erotic thriller film written and directed by Christopher Crowe and starring Annabella Sciorra, Jamey Sheridan, Alan Alda, Jill Clayburgh, John Leguizamo, Deborah Unger, and Anthony LaPaglia. It follows a Manhattan psychiatrist who finds herself in the midst of a homicide investigation after one of her patients is mysteriously murdered.

<i>Devil</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by John Erick Dowdle

Devil is a 2010 American supernatural horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle. The screenplay by Brian Nelson was from a story by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O'Hara, and Bokeem Woodbine, the film revolves around five strangers who become trapped in an elevator. Devil was released on September 17, 2010. Critics praised the film's atmosphere and performances, but criticized the short running-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Kidman on screen and stage</span>

American-born Australian actress and producer Nicole Kidman has appeared in numerous film and television projects, as well as in theatre productions. She made her film debut in the Australian drama Bush Christmas in 1983. Four years later, she starred in the television miniseries Bangkok Hilton, for which she received the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama. Her breakthrough role was as a married woman trapped on a yacht with a murderer in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. She followed this with her Hollywood debut opposite Tom Cruise in Tony Scott's auto-racing film Days of Thunder (1990). Her role as a homicidal weather forecaster in Gus Van Sant's crime comedy-drama To Die For garnered Kidman a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical in 1996. She worked with Cruise again on Ron Howard's Far and Away (1992) and Stanley Kubrick's erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut in 1999.

<i>Deep Water</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Adrian Lyne

Deep Water is a 2022 erotic psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne, from a screenplay by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson, based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. The film stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, with Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Kristen Connolly, and Jacob Elordi appearing in supporting roles. It marks Lyne's return to filmmaking after a 20-year absence since his last film, Unfaithful (2002).

<i>The Voyeurs</i> 2021 film directed by Michael Mohan

The Voyeurs is a 2021 American erotic thriller film written and directed by Michael Mohan. Shot and set in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, it stars Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith as a young couple who spy on and become obsessed by the lives of their neighbors across the street. Greg Gilreath and Adam Hendricks serve as producers under their Divide/Conquer banner.

Nina K. Martin is an associate professor of film studies at Connecticut College and the author of Sexy Thrills: Undressing the Erotic Thriller.

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, Brendan (October 23, 1995). "Never Talk to Strangers". Variety .
  2. ↑ "Never Talk to Strangers". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Never Talk to Strangers". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Stack, Peter (21 October 1995). "Film Review -- Never Talk About 'Strangers' Finale". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  6. ↑ James, Caryn (21 October 1995). "Film Review; Dead Flowers, Booby Traps and Suspects Galore". The New York Times . Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Hinson, Hal (21 October 1995). "Never Talk to Strangers (R)". The Washington Post . Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  8. ↑ WH. "Never Talk to Strangers". Time Out .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.