← Back to results
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962 135 min United States of America 12+
★8.5
Drama, Horror, Thriller
Director: Robert Aldrich
🎭 Based on
«What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?»
byHenry Farrell
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
A former vaudeville child star viciously torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.
Budget:
$980,000
Starring
Bette Davis
Actor
Joan Crawford
Actor
Victor Buono
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Costume Design (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Actress
Golden Globe 1963
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Costume Design (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe 1963
— Best Actress (Drama)
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Cinematography (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1963
— Best Sound
BAFTA 1964
— Best International Actress
Key opinion
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is widely regarded as a masterful psychological thriller that defined its genre through its claustrophobic atmosphere and the intense, iconic performances of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. While its pacing and genre-blending remain highly praised by most, some viewers find its narrative predictability or the abruptness of its final act to be minor points of contention.
| Acting | Bette Davis and Joan Crawford deliver tour-de-force, career-defining performances that are amplified by their well-documented real-life animosity. | |
| Cinematography | The black-and-white cinematography and production design masterfully utilize shadows, decaying sets, and the ominous staircase to cultivate an atmosphere of psychological decay. | |
| Score | The score by Frank De Vol effectively sustains a lingering, claustrophobic mood that mirrors the sisters' descent into madness. | |
| Direction | Robert Aldrich successfully blends elements of psychological horror, family tragedy, and black comedy to create a genre-defining experience. | |
| Pacing | The film is consistently lauded as a gripping, masterfully paced thriller, though a minority of reviewers feel the plot is at times predictable. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the conclusion are polarized; many find the final twist and emotional resolution powerful, while others argue the ending is ill-fitting or undermines the established tension. |