Kiss of the Spider Woman
Seen it?1985 | 120 min | Drama
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won an Oscar and it made about 14 times its budget. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence and sex.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
The story of two radically different men thrown together in a Latin American prison cell. One is Valentin, a journalist being tortured for his political beliefs. The other is Molina, a gay window-dresser who fills their lonely nights by spinning romantic fantasies drawn from memories of old movies.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Best Actor. Also nominated for 3 more Oscars. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$17 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 232K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Héctor Babenco
- William HurtLuis Molina
- Raúl JuliáValentin Arregui
- Sonia BragaLeni Lamaison / Marta / Spider Woman
- José LewgoyWarden
- Milton GonçalvesPedro
- Miriam PiresMother
- Nuno Leal MaiaGabriel
- Fernando TorresAmerico
- Patricio BissoGreta
- Herson CapriWerner