Whirlpool

Whirlpool

1949
Drama, Crime
1h 38m
The wife of a psycho-analyst falls prey to a devious quack hypnotist when he discovers she is an habitual shoplifter. Then one of his previous patients now being treated by the real doctor is found murdered, with her still at the scene, and suspicion points only one way.
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Whirlpool

1949
Drama, Crime
1h 38m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 53.21% from 149 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(149)
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Rated 15 Jun 2012
81
64th
Psychobabble noirs, so preposterous and always seem to take themselves way too seriously, but still compelling in their distilled exploration of human nature. Ferrer makes the most of every moment he's on screen, contemptible yet believable. The looks in his eyes and snarls on his lips are perfect. Tierney, despite being chained by her role, is still fun to watch as well. The plotting is pretty tight too, so that despite the many underlying issues it's still fun to watch.
Rated 03 Nov 2021
75
60th
Very fine noiresque drama by Preminger that switches it up by making the female character the main protagonist (for most of the movie). José Ferrer steals the show as the baddie. Like so many 40s psychological dramas it features kitchensink Freudian psychobabble, but the plot is engrossing enough to make it still very watchable.
Rated 23 Oct 2015
100
0th
"Do you think these dysfunctional personalities are essential to film noir?" "Absolutely!" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/11/episode-36-films-noir-of-otto-preminger.html
Rated 26 Feb 2016
13
69th
Star Rating: ★★★1/2
Rated 22 Apr 2008
71
76th
Another enjoyable, involving film noir mystery backed by some good performances, a well written script and an interesting plotline. Although some aspects might not be all that realistic, such as Ferrer being quiteso oblivious of his condition, it manages to capture the viewers attention and soon becomes a good watch.
Rated 21 Aug 2016
90
83rd
Excellent noir can't avoid echoes of Preminger's own LAURA (especially with Tierney in the lead) -- while it lacks LAURA's clockwork efficiency, there is still a great deal to love here, especially Ferrer's outstanding, skin crawling depiction of a sleazy hypnotist, and the enjoyably unbelievable and melodramatic explanation of some of the key plot elements.
Rated 01 Jul 2008
50
35th
Passes the time.
Rated 05 Feb 2010
81
48th
A good noir. Jose Ferrer is really slimy in this one, and Conte and Tierney are very effective leads.
Rated 04 Oct 2016
85
59th
A whipsmart and feverish noir, not least because the terrific Jose Ferrer spends roughly half of it in a deep, sickness-induced sweat. Otto Preminger worked endlessly on the cutting edge; even a melodramatic psychobabble thriller like Whirlpool feels wildly modern, in tone and in style. Here, there are multiple shots that'd rank among his most graceful, and a couple of compositions that would look right at home on The Knick, of all things.
Rated 05 May 2011
72
48th
71.625
Rated 06 Mar 2010
64
23rd
More noir-ish than noir, a solid psychological drama but one that lacks tension. The shining star of this movie is Ferrer, who pulls off devious and charming in a captivating role. Tierney and Conte just seem to be going through the motions by comparison. The film also deals with a lot of pop psychiatrics, including hypnosis... right behind amnesia in terms of hokey plot devices. The cinematography is dull and the score is perfunctory. A watchable story that needs a whole lot more spark to it.
Rated 14 Mar 2019
80
8th
79.50
Rated 20 Nov 2020
74
52nd
Em honra do centenário de Gene Tierney. Nãoé particularmente um grande filme, especialmente em se tratando do Preminger, mas gosto da pegada dele dos profissionais de saúde mental tendo que aguentar charlatão pilantra desde tempos imemoriais e o limpando ao estrago quase irreversível que eles causam. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 28 Jul 2022
60
89th
To me Whirlpool (1950) was a slow grower, and I question the intensity coming a little too late to make a lasting impression, but there is no denying how great and reliable Gene Tierney was in her role.
Rated 17 Nov 2022
80
76th
The use of hypnosis as a clever device to dissect the way women are made to submit to the whims of men. How men from your family/the man you chose to marry can manipulate you and be seen as a caring person or a person that knows what’s right for you but an outsider tricks you into more malicious things is a much worse damage to your character. How the thought of a woman cheating or being controlled by a man not her husband is played the same as a mentally ill woman being murdered. Great flick
Rated 29 Dec 2022
76
46th
Though not convincing, the psychological frosting improves the intrigue of character relations. Was hoping for a more complex plot.
Rated 17 Jan 2023
90
52nd
Though a little far-fetched, good performances and an exciting pace in this psychological crime thriller.

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