Safe (1995)
Set in an affluent neighbourhood of the San Fernando Valley in 1987, the film recounts the life of a seemingly unremarkable homemaker, Carol White who develops multiple chemical sensitivity.
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Directed By: Todd Haynes
Written By: Todd Haynes
Starring: Xander Berkeley, Julianne Moore, Peter Friedman, Beth Grant, Susan Norman, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Mary Carver, Jessica Harper, Jodie Markell, Ronnie Farer, Dean Norris, Julie Burgess
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Safe belongs to 42 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (public: moderated by kozan26 - 190 stars)
2. Criterion Collection (public: moderated by caffe - 135 stars)
3. Mindfuck (public: moderated by moses - 65 stars)
4. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (public: moderated by Scottathon - 36 stars)
5. Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 1000 Movies (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 34 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)
7. Uncanny, Disturbingly Weird Films (public: moderated by paulofilmo - 31 stars)
8. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (public: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
9. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 24 stars)
10. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 24 stars)
11. Criterion Collection (Blu-ray) (public: moderated by epiphany - 18 stars)
12. Humanity and the Natural World (public: moderated by paulofilmo - 16 stars)
13. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (public: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
14. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (public: moderated by Cinephile - 15 stars)
15. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)
16. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (public: moderated by dookobore - 13 stars)
17. Films available in HD (public: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)
18. Cults (public: moderated by djross - 7 stars)
19. Cinema Discusso Movies of the Month (public: moderated by ABUNCHOFCATS - 6 stars)
20. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (public: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)
21. 1980s period film (public: moderated by djross - 3 stars)
22. Cinemag's Best 200 films Ever Created! (public: moderated by hristos - 3 stars)
23. Slant Magazine's 100 Best Movies of the 1990s (public: moderated by Edson Abas - 3 stars)
24. Psychotic women (public: moderated by mattburgess - 3 stars)
25. New Queer Cinema. (public: moderated by karamazov. - 2 stars)
26. A Year of Essential Cinema (public: moderated by Ibetolis1 - 1 star)
27. My Top 100 (public: moderated by MartinTeller)
28. Ratings (public: moderated by cheapthrills)
29. Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (private: Ross - 32 stars)
30. The AV Club 50 Best Films of the '90s (private: TychoCelchuu - 8 stars)
31. The Village Voice: 150 Groundbreaking Films (private: kevinjoseph - 6 stars)
32. similar to julien donkey boy (private: kikifas - 6 stars)
33. Dan Sallitt "red" films (private: Scottathon - 2 stars)
34. Cinematheque Ontario - Best 40 Of The Nineties (private: Thegoodboy - 1 star)
35. Indie (private - 1 star)
36. 1995: Year in Review (private: polanski28)
37. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 27 (private: PeaceAnarchy)
38. 90lar (private: Giskard)
39. 2015 First Time Viewings (private: Malcym)
40. My Criterions (private: Matthew Parkinson)
41. attse (private: rnest)
42. Mr. Hallenbeck's Blu-Ray Wishlist (private: MrHallenbeck)
Browse the full list of collections
| Date | User | Rating | |
| Dec 01 | suurjuust | 65 78% |
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| Nov 30 |  |
vitruvian | 90 74% |
| Nov 26 | invention | 3 60% |
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| Nov 19 | Romanshower | 90 96% |
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MaxVonSydow | 70 70% |
| Nov 11 | kappeuter | 80 % |
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emreyuksel | 50 8% |
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TychoCelchuu | 93 95% |
| Oct 30 | Gunnaka | 63 38% |
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lofisofi | 80 85% |
| Oct 24 | bore | 80 47% |
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skinnylegend | 88 97% |
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M_A | 86 91% |
| Oct 04 | geohawk | 68 21% |
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Jenny82 | 70 17% |
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donmateo | 64 58% |
| Sep 19 | dracular | 65 43% |
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| Sep 13 |  |
Triptolemos | 60 41% |
| Sep 11 |  |
zelda | 93 80% |
| Sep 09 | Zepheus | 90 % |
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| Sep 01 | redboots | 80 72% |
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| Aug 30 |  |
karatoprak | 71 38% |
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the problem with my ratings is that i try to pick out arguably good films to watch and because of that, good-but-not-impressive-enough-films like this end up being tier-5 or below.
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| Aug 27 |  |
ashleylm | 50 22% |
| Aug 20 |  |
Ogroff | 92 71% |
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kennkoon | 80 79% |
| Aug 10 | skb2933 | 85 73% |
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Gymnopedies | 70 61% |
| Jul 17 | mauszfabrick | 90 63% |
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Daisoujou | 90 82% |
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FreddieQuell | 91 92% |
| Jun 25 | AchwellFoley | 80 89% |
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| Jun 08 | thirdeye42 | 71 47% |
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| Jun 07 | kartoffel10 | 85 63% |
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abednego | 69 54% |
| May 31 | Philosofem | 73 57% |
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| May 12 | CMWL2 | 1 % |
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moonsmilk | 10 94% |
| May 07 | Siegel Hans | 60 36% |
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| May 03 |  |
ssavage | 75 67% |
| Apr 30 | kjones77 | 80 70% |
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| Apr 29 | shanebarlow3 | 89 91% |
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| Apr 29 | CherrySponge | 80 49% |
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| Apr 28 | ironmayton | 85 65% |
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| Apr 23 |  |
foreigners | 90 85% |
| Apr 21 | DanielRVilar | 75 26% |
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| Apr 19 | fictionfitz | 92 97% |
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| Apr 13 |  |
Phantom Nook | 70 33% |
| Mar 29 | toospaa | 100 81% |
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| Mar 21 | Dozzyrok | 90 50% |
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| Mar 20 | apsays | 69 64% |
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| Mar 09 |  |
scott.mcc | 90 97% |
| Mar 04 | marjoline | 65 19% |
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| Feb 17 | CesarCastag (CinePlayers.com) | 100 95% |
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| Feb 10 | davidjn | 70 78% |
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| Feb 10 |  |
oguzkayir | 6 47% |
| Jan 30 | tamino | 95 91% |
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| Jan 26 |  |
greekgrits | 90 90% |
| Jan 01 |  |
antidood1 | 70 60% |
| Dec 20, 2017 | Systematicer | 70 69% |
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| Dec 17, 2017 | Timec | 70 45% |
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| Dec 08, 2017 |  |
Noblet | 88 91% |
| Nov 25, 2017 |  |
ritamae | 87 41% |
| Nov 02, 2017 | Matt92 | 95 65% |
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| Oct 26, 2017 | Russ Bedford | 74 82% |
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| Oct 22, 2017 |  |
anaskvit | 75 43% |
| Oct 10, 2017 | JohnPaul821 | 90 86% |
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| Oct 10, 2017 | Timmer | 84 86% |
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| Oct 01, 2017 | sandrikoti | 50 12% |
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| Sep 24, 2017 |  |
Paudie | 45 33% |
| Sep 02, 2017 | heliz | 90 70% |
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| Aug 31, 2017 | izwt936g | 70 61% |
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| Aug 26, 2017 |  |
desudesu | 25 1% |
| Aug 09, 2017 | jlewis | 86 62% |
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| Jul 20, 2017 |  |
Syntheseizur | 85 83% |
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Haynes wrings terror out of the mundanity of sterile, upper class suburbia during the superficial '80s in a tale about the alienation of bourgeois privilege and the need for security from uncertainty as he frames the characters in their domestic spaces. The film anticipates the modern obsession with holistic medicine and anti-science conspiracies, but it's also an investigation into a uniquely-American brand of female objectification, capitalist claustrophobia, and the associated anxieties.
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| Jul 16, 2017 | Gossamer | 2 60% |
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| Jul 10, 2017 |  |
ptkw | 70 84% |
| Jul 09, 2017 | NevinLiu | 84 83% |
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| Jul 05, 2017 |  |
WWallce4prez | 90 95% |
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There is a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Todd Haynes, but two reasons, in particular, come to mind with Safe: Julianne Moore and anxiety. The craft displayed in pasting literal anxiety onto the screen is mesmerizing. Moore is fantastic in her first leading role as she chews the screen with her empty stares and nervous smiles.
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| Jun 24, 2017 |  |
girlfriday | 95 85% |
| Jun 17, 2017 |  |
Arlowe_ | 73 69% |
| Jun 04, 2017 | BlakeEngel | 7 16% |
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In Safe, the main character is a mirror and a symbol. Barely there, as thin as can be both emotionally and just as a character on the page, Carol is either a symbol of how any random person will succumb to the unintended side-effects of contemporary society, or how any random person can be entirely lost in psychosomatic illness. I'm not entirely sure what, if any, message or lesson one should take from this film. All I know is that Carol is so barely there that it starts to drag the film down.
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| May 31, 2017 | kombelpeter | 78 25% |
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| May 21, 2017 | anonm | 70 32% |
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| May 12, 2017 | ashfieldmall | 70 70% |
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| May 10, 2017 | DrWade42 | 88 87% |
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| Apr 29, 2017 |  |
littlepanda | 9 88% |
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Henrik | 90 95% |
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poltergeist | 45 21% |
| Apr 09, 2017 | ICMforum | 90 62% |
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| Mar 30, 2017 | cheapthrills | 70 36% |
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| Mar 20, 2017 | thrillington | 95 80% |
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| Mar 16, 2017 | batui | 60 30% |
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| Mar 08, 2017 |  |
letterboxdvo | 40 91% |
| Feb 27, 2017 |  |
redflag | 94 76% |
| Feb 25, 2017 |  |
mCihhh | 60 37% |
| Feb 24, 2017 |  |
P u l p | 85 90% |
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"Love yourself"
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| Feb 24, 2017 |  |
RYM-byrates | 76 95% |
| Feb 23, 2017 | ercaderk | 83 41% |
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| Feb 21, 2017 |  |
MrHallenbeck | 92 85% |
| Feb 18, 2017 |  |
gorkemoge | 70 69% |
| Feb 18, 2017 |  |
cherrorist | 50 25% |
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Starts off good, but grows boring after 45 minutes, tedious after an hour or so, and the true horror comes from realizing you've wasted two hours of your life to something this pointless. Suspense comes from waiting for it to end, drama from explaining your spouse it was suggested by Criticker, and Criticker rarely misses. Moore's great, though, she's a great actress.
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| Feb 12, 2017 |  |
Mochard | 60 28% |
| Feb 08, 2017 | pntjr | 6 3% |
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| Jan 31, 2017 | iammattr | 87 85% |
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umurtas | 60 53% |
| Jan 22, 2017 | birgitbrause | 70 22% |
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maborosi | 67 60% |
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TMDaines | 70 45% |
| Jan 15, 2017 | Panicbeach | 20 3% |
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| Jan 15, 2017 |  |
joewkeh | 28 5% |
| Jan 14, 2017 | cshadows2887 | 87 14% |
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| Jan 14, 2017 | mjbreuer | 63 40% |
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| Jan 12, 2017 |  |
tipieserozge | 60 56% |
| Jan 06, 2017 |  |
lancaster | 74 51% |
| Jan 05, 2017 |  |
Alan_Laidlaw | 88 92% |
| Jan 02, 2017 | Rebert | 6 49% |
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| Dec 29, 2016 |  |
Parexus2 | 77 74% |
| Dec 28, 2016 | nyg500 | 82 69% |
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redpatriot | 79 75% |
| Dec 26, 2016 |  |
Ariaz | 85 86% |
| Dec 23, 2016 | robochaa | 60 26% |
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| Dec 16, 2016 | rog | 50 63% |
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| Nov 29, 2016 | kupfertj | 79 71% |
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| Nov 20, 2016 | CornRabbit | 75 79% |
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| Nov 14, 2016 | Ronin22 | 69 83% |
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| Nov 10, 2016 | doe | 60 52% |
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| Nov 02, 2016 | jerrywarton | 69 68% |
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| Oct 10, 2016 | TheMarkle | 60 38% |
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| Oct 07, 2016 | Lonewolf2003 | 90 94% |
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| Sep 16, 2016 | cb4u2 | 100 91% |
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| Sep 15, 2016 | Caracortada | 50 11% |
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| Aug 17, 2016 |  |
catfingers | 73 68% |
| Aug 17, 2016 | fayeshell | 95 54% |
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Mpython | 7 57% |
| Jul 24, 2016 | berlinator | 86 86% |
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moss piglet | 8 92% |
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fat!h | 80 79% |
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Snobyeti | 95 71% |
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yukselsardag | 86 84% |
| Jul 04, 2016 | Col_Needham | 60 21% |
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| Jul 04, 2016 | MrWhiplash | 100 88% |
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| Jun 30, 2016 |  |
bal3x | 60 41% |
| Jun 21, 2016 | Mixtzin | 3 66% |
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| Jun 09, 2016 |  |
Niska | 43 77% |
| Jun 02, 2016 | marcinvg | 70 61% |
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| May 26, 2016 | catso | 80 73% |
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| May 22, 2016 | comeyesouth | 10 57% |
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| May 10, 2016 |  |
ibrahimbars | 69 58% |
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clowngirl | 82 84% |
| Apr 12, 2016 |  |
Darren | 70 53% |
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White people the movie. Looked nice tho.
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| Apr 11, 2016 |  |
FrancoZero | 18 96% |
| Apr 07, 2016 | bobsinclair6 | 98 70% |
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| Apr 04, 2016 | drpretenamen | 90 79% |
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| Apr 04, 2016 | sellis | 88 83% |
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An accomplishment in tone and performance. The use of perspective is crucial. Suffocating wide shots. Unconventional coverage makes when terror strikes feel sudden and inevitable. The synth score works until the final scenes, supplanting silence from the first half with aimless noise. The feeling of isolation, lack of emotional catharsis for the protagonist, us knowing she's likely incapable of ending this phase of her life, is reminiscent of A Woman Under the Influence in the best possible way.
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| Mar 31, 2016 | RWL | 4 53% |
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| Mar 29, 2016 |  |
meliorism | 70 51% |
| Mar 26, 2016 | cbennett | 80 85% |
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| Mar 20, 2016 |  |
Carlospro | 85 91% |
| Mar 19, 2016 | tmlilty | 100 43% |
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| Mar 17, 2016 |  |
Yiannos | 60 42% |
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An odd mix of Cronenbergian style body horror and Antonioni like artistry, Safe was an unusually heady American 'indie' film for its time that traded in fashionable irony for complete seriousness. The cold clinical tone is eerily precise: it traps Carol/Moore within the frame, highlighting her isolation, powerlessness and increasing sense of dislocation. It's a moody urban dramatic 'horror' about the problems of modern living, but it bites off more than it can chew and overstays its welcome.
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| Mar 08, 2016 |  |
frederic_g54 | 6 35% |
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More substantive in its less than flattering depiction of upper class pomposity than in its portrait of a dejected young woman struggling with issues of self-identity. Especially since the latter continually teeters on the verge of self-parody to the point where it becomes unintentionally hilarious - if not hopelessly misguided. Moore gives a great turn, however.
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| Mar 04, 2016 |  |
kylefilms | 90 87% |
| Feb 28, 2016 |  |
veever | 85 67% |
| Feb 24, 2016 | ramshackled | 100 91% |
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| Feb 14, 2016 | cemzn | 80 59% |
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| Feb 11, 2016 | Ildorio10 | 80 58% |
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| Feb 09, 2016 | rootbeercirc | 73 41% |
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| Feb 09, 2016 | Brablay | 90 62% |
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| Feb 07, 2016 |  |
Mubear | 81 65% |
| Feb 05, 2016 | spants | 88 82% |
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| Jan 31, 2016 | mfl | 71 85% |
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lineuphere | 90 91% |
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fkaraman | 80 71% |
| Jan 24, 2016 | bobbillings | 89 79% |
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| Jan 21, 2016 |  |
photina | 95 88% |
| Jan 20, 2016 | westonmartin | 81 58% |
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| Jan 12, 2016 | zomgmouse | 80 69% |
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kurisu1974 | 70 70% |
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sacmersault | 75 66% |
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gulahgula | 75 42% |
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Andrew13 | 88 70% |
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AlexanderMG | 91 81% |
| Jan 02, 2016 | exitexitquit | 78 72% |
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| Dec 30, 2015 |  |
MUBIvotes | 39 81% |
| Dec 27, 2015 |  |
Suture Self | 9 91% |
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The driving question in Safe is, "What is it that really ails Carol?" What's so insidious about this question is that it appears to be unanswerable. It might be a metaphysical question, but the revulsions of her body make us believe it's something more, something tangible. It might be an empirical question, but the limits of science prove to be inadequate; medicine and psychology fails her. Yet, this invisible agony pops up everywhere; in Carol, in you, in me. The horror is in not knowing why.
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| Dec 15, 2015 |  |
robot2xl | 73 48% |
| Dec 12, 2015 | Aventinus | 69 66% |
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| Dec 07, 2015 |  |
LB94 | 75 39% |
| Nov 30, 2015 |  |
laika | 72 51% |
| Nov 30, 2015 |  |
Fenius | 90 73% |
| Nov 24, 2015 |  |
AFlickering | 88 88% |
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perhaps a little broad to quite hit masterpiece territory for me, but i wouldn't be surprised if a rewatch removed all doubts.
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| Nov 14, 2015 |  |
Swoony | 77 55% |
| Nov 11, 2015 |  |
maksler | 70 47% |
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Kerc | 27 88% |
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amanohyo | 60 88% |
| Oct 16, 2015 | roger-ebert | 30 53% |
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| Sep 29, 2015 | M-B-M | 7 87% |
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| Sep 27, 2015 | SnoopyStyle | 60 43% |
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| Sep 17, 2015 | lucidquasar | 70 38% |
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| Sep 13, 2015 |  |
ultrahobo | 60 31% |
| Aug 29, 2015 | berlach | 94 87% |
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| Aug 22, 2015 | moodeuce | 90 87% |
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| Aug 13, 2015 |  |
Kitano7 | 85 90% |
| Aug 13, 2015 |  |
Nathan | 67 42% |
| Aug 12, 2015 |  |
AICHE | 76 64% |
| Aug 09, 2015 | YourNameHere | 90 61% |
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| Aug 09, 2015 | cinemahater | 88 95% |
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| Aug 08, 2015 |  |
kastenm | 63 31% |
| Aug 01, 2015 | GRouleau | 78 79% |
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| Jul 28, 2015 |  |
Moribunny | 88 96% |
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A haunting movie. The height of their career for everyone involved.
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| Jul 27, 2015 | DougieD | 85 62% |
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| Jul 27, 2015 | Mihai93 | 90 43% |
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| Jul 19, 2015 |  |
syenigun | 19 42% |
| Jul 19, 2015 |  |
hristos | 80 88% |
| Jul 12, 2015 |  |
M.Robitussin | 95 85% |
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profoundly scary movie, when you get right down to it. it's body horror taken to its logical extreme in its own way as much as Cronenberg's The Fly. exquisitely written, mounted & acted.
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| Jul 03, 2015 | mvsilva | 82 65% |
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| Jun 14, 2015 |  |
annie | 70 69% |
| Jun 05, 2015 |  |
Oktay | 85 89% |
| May 31, 2015 |  |
cryteno | 70 47% |
| May 27, 2015 |  |
Communicants | 85 87% |
| May 18, 2015 | zetes | 80 63% |
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| May 10, 2015 | boothmillard | 60 46% |
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| May 09, 2015 | khanbaliq2 | 90 74% |
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| May 09, 2015 | TRobertson | 50 42% |
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| May 03, 2015 |  |
Lilarcor | 80 67% |
| May 03, 2015 |  |
Bown | 84 73% |
| Apr 30, 2015 | junkielee | 80 64% |
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| Apr 24, 2015 | aerrich | 40 11% |
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| Apr 24, 2015 | cardsos01 | 55 54% |
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| Apr 24, 2015 | OldAle1 | 100 95% |
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| Apr 24, 2015 | votefordeniz | 75 33% |
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| Apr 16, 2015 |  |
Charlie | 80 81% |
| Apr 16, 2015 |  |
Tomhet | 9 93% |
| Apr 14, 2015 | filmcave | 83 86% |
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| Apr 07, 2015 | fabioleal | 100 99% |
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| Apr 06, 2015 |  |
loosecanons | 13 95% |
| Mar 31, 2015 |  |
wokelstein | 94 89% |
| Mar 24, 2015 |  |
Sockman | 78 77% |
| Mar 21, 2015 | windowseat | 85 75% |
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| Mar 16, 2015 | DancingP | 80 82% |
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| Mar 12, 2015 | 10kfilms | 73 69% |
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Displaying 1 to 250 of 675 total ratings: Prev | Next
| Average Percentile 62.96% from 675 Ratings |  |
