Deceiver
Seen it?1997 | 106 min | Mystery, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With almost no lasting buzz and middling reviews (42% on Rotten Tomatoes), it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Gosford Park or The Prestige, start here.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 46 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence.
The gruesome death of a prostitute brings suspicion on one of her clients, James Wayland, a brilliant, self-destructive and epileptic heir to a textile fortune. So detectives Braxton and Kennesaw take Wayland in for questioning, thinking they can break the man. But despite his troubles, Wayland is a master of manipulation, and during the interrogation, he begins to turn the tables on the investigators, forcing them to reveal their own sinister sides.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
42% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
6.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$572K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 17K people sought it out in the past year
More like this
Gosford Park
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed drama.
The Prestige Friday Night FlickAnother much-loved drama.
Before and After
Monday Morning MaybeAnother crime drama. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
The Limits of Control Weeknight WatchAnother crime story, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Closed Circuit Weeknight WatchAnother crime drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jonas Pate, Josh Pate
- Tim RothJames Walter Wayland
- Michael RookerDetective Edward Kennesaw
- Renée ZellwegerElizabeth
- Chris PennDetective Phillip Braxton
- Rosanna ArquetteMrs. Kennesaw
- Karina LogueSorority Girl
- Ellen BurstynMook
- Tamara MercerMisty
- Michael ParksDr. Banyard
- Don WinstonWarren