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Repulsion
1965 105 min United Kingdom 16+
★8.0
Drama, Thriller, Horror
Director: Roman Polanski
Trailers
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Description
Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.
Budget:
$300,000
Worldwide:
$3.1M
Starring
Catherine Deneuve
Actor
Ian Hendry
Actor
John Fraser
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 1965
— Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize
Berlin International Film Festival 1965
— FIPRESCI Prize
Berlin International Film Festival 1965
— Golden Bear
BAFTA 1966
— Best Cinematography (Black and White)
Key opinion
Roman Polanski's Repulsion is widely regarded as a masterful, atmospheric psychological thriller that effectively depicts a descent into schizophrenia. While some viewers criticize its slow pace and lack of explicit narrative answers, most praise Catherine Deneuve's haunting performance and the film's innovative use of claustrophobic tension.
| Acting | Catherine Deneuve delivers a striking and chilling performance that anchors the protagonist's descent into madness. | |
| Production | The film utilizes claustrophobic production design and subtle technical choices to transform an ordinary apartment into a terrifying, surreal environment. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography and sound design work in tandem to create an immersive, pervasive sense of dread without relying on conventional jump scares. | |
| Pacing | The film's deliberate, contemplative tempo rewards viewers seeking atmospheric tension, though it feels tedious and aimless to those expecting a traditional horror narrative. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative's refusal to explicitly explain the origins of the protagonist's trauma and mental state divides opinion; some find it hauntingly ambiguous, while others find the lack of resolution frustrating. |