Fatal Attraction

Friday, February 14 - Sunday, February 16, 2014

DCP projection

“A soap opera of exceptional power… Mr. Lyne’s handiwork transforms [Michael Douglas and Glenn Close] into a convincingly passionate pair. The change in Miss Close is especially startling, with the witchy blond tendrils and hard, steady gaze that make her character so seductive and finally so frightening. She first meets Dan at a party, then at a weekend business meeting, and after that Mr. Lyne toys luxuriantly with the viewer’s expectations. In a film of his, even Miss Close’s signaling Mr. Douglas to wipe some cream cheese off his nose during the meeting can have a remarkable charge.

It’s raining after the meeting. Her umbrella works, his doesn’t. He suggests they have a drink somewhere, and they do, and what happens after that is no surprise, nor is it made out to be any of Dan Gallagher’s doing. His wife, who happens to be gorgeous and perfect (as played by Anne Archer, whose glamorous presence does a lot to make the extramarital affair seem unlikely), happens to be away for the weekend. So what does he do? He doesn’t bother to resist, that’s all. Audiences who saw the seduction coming will also see its byproduct, a streak of persistence and vindictiveness from the woman who considers herself wronged…

”FATAL ATTRACTION offers a well-detailed, credibly drawn romantic triangle that’s sure to spark a lot of cocktail-party chatter. The fact that Dan Gallagher’s home life seems so happy only makes matters more interesting, as does the film’s refusal to explain him. It’s even difficult to tell anything about this man’s inner life from Mr. Douglas’s performance, and that may be the point. He doesn’t understand it either.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times

  • Country USA
  • Year 1987
  • Running Time 119 minutes
  • Director Adrian Lyne

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.