STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable
Excellent
Good
Poor
Tragic

FILM DETAILS

Certificate 18

Cast Sigourney Weaver Ben Kingsley Stuart Wilson

Directors Roman Polanski

Screenwriters Rafael Yglesias Ariel Dorfman

Running Time 104 minutes

Death And The Maiden
Acting tour-de-force by Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley

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Plot
Paulina is a political activist and torture survivor in an unnamed South American country. When her husband brings home a stranger one night who helped him on the road, Paulina becomes convinced that this is the man who once tortured her, and becomes determined to prove his guilt.

Verdict
Even by their high standards, the performances of Weaver and Kingsley here are impressive, and Polanski ratchetts up the tension nicely. A chilling and thought-provoking piece.


Reviewed by Kim Newman

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