User reviews

You don't hear much about this film anymore, but in its day, this was the most-talked about movie of the year. It was a 'favorite topic of conversation about the office water cooler' for a number of weeks. At the time, it was a shocker. Nowaways.....who knows? As we become more and more desensitized to violence, sex and profanity, it takes a lot more to shock us.

Still, this movie had memorable moments that have stayed with us who first saw it at the theater 20 years ago. Most of those memorable scenes, if not all of them, involve Glenn Close's character, "Alex Forrest." Man, this is a woman who would not be denied what she wanted: in this case, married man Michael Douglas.

No sense going into all the details. Everyone knows them by now, anyway. Looking back, I think the film was a good lesson for men (or women) thinking about cheating on their spouses and assuming nothing bad will happen as a result. Men may commit more crimes, but that old adage about a "woman scorned" certainly is demonstrated here in spades! Douglas' character, "Dan Gallagher," certainly can attest to that, but he is anything but a sympathetic character. Both actors do a superb job in here, but kudos also to the rest of the Gallagher family, played by Anne Archer (wife "Beth") and Ellen Hamilton Latzen (daughter "Ellen.")

Also, the cinematography shouldn't be overlooked. The widescreen DVD certainly brought out how nicely this film was shot and directed. This two-hour film keeps your attention all the way. The only thing I would change is the language, toning it down a bit. Otherwise, it's a classic thriller and one of the most famous films in the '80s.

... so says Tom Hanks in 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle" to his son in reference to this movie and comparing its outcome to a strange woman who has been writing the widower (Hanks) as a result of him appearing on a radio show. But that's another movie.

The point is, its lesson was still easily recognizable in popular culture six years after it was made. What looks like an easy lay with a beautiful single woman can easily turn into an object lesson on Murphy's law. Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) is a successful NYC attorney, and on a weekend when his wife and daughter are away from home at his in-laws' house, he has a work meeting that includes Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), an editor for a publishing company. This leads to a drink at a bar, and that leads to a passionate one night stand that turns into a two night stand when Alex attempts suicide when Dan tries to leave.

Dan thinks it's over. Alex has seemed to come to her senses. But then she tells him she is pregnant, and no she is having this baby because she is 36 and it may be her last chance. When Dan insists he is not leaving his wife for her, that he does not love her - well, let's just say that the opposite of love is not hate it's indifference, and Alex at first stalks Dan and gradually turns up the heat until his entire family is at risk. The suspense builds until the harrowing end.

The thing is, Dan always loved his wife, subtly played by Ann Archer. She is beautiful, supportive, and he still has passion for her. They have a little girl and are a very happy family. But he just could not say no to what looked like a one night adventure that nobody need ever know about that turns into a nightmare.

There is more to the film than the cautionary "Don't cheat on your wife" message. I think it's because Glenn Close does such a fantastic job playing Alex. There's something about her portrayal that, to me, paints Alex as ultimately powerful, not just outright insane. Until the end she mostly dominates what happens to Michael Douglas' character's life. I think this one has aged well and would still recommend it.

A white-knuckled "don't-let-this-happen-to-you" thriller that vividly demonstrates what can happen to a guy when he lets other parts of his anatomy do his thinking for him. Manhattan lawyer Dan Callagher (Mike Douglas) has it all: successful career, attractive wife, nice dog, an d a loving daughter. So why not have an extramarital fling with a woman he met at a party while the family is out of town? Sure. Just a one-night stand. No harm, no harm done. But there's something very nasty about Dan's partner in crime, because blonde Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) may have all the right moves in the sack, but she also has an elevator that doesn't go all the way to the top. So when Dan wants to shake hands and part company, Alex will have none of it, and the table is set for a one-way ticket to Looney Land...

The moral is very simple: human beings are fragile. Leading on a single female as Dan Gallagher does in this movie can result in drastic consequences. Human beings are controlled by emotions: laughter, sadness, etc... Therefore, someone in Dan Gallagher's position must realize that inviting a single young lady to a tête-à-tête in a restaurant harbors relief to her solitude and brings her into a fantasy-life. On the other hand, Alex Forrest is attractive, relatively young, cultured, and intelligent. She definitely will find someone, but I still understand her reluctance to let Dan go. Overall, this is an fantastic suspenseful edge of your seat thriller type of movie, which can also be seen as a pioneer of films of this sort. No film hit the subject of cheating quite like this.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

I absolutely love this movie.

I find everything about it amazing The opening sequence with the a different NYC skyline view, not your usual skyscrapers, the pace, the score. The family in their cozy Manhattan apartment, with the lovable golden lab.

And then there's the acting, OMG It is a given that Glenn Close is AMAZING in this. Michael Douglas and Anne Archer are incredible too. Glenn's ability to go from mysterious temptress to repelling stalker is beyond belief. Dan (Michale Douglas) is an adulterer. But at the same time his character is still such a genuine loving and dotting father and husband...He balances being pursued by a psychotic woman as he continues to go to work, get surprises for his daughter, be tender to his wife, hang out with friends, etc. Beth (Anne Archer) is as sweet as she is gullible. So many red flags, but again, Dan was so great in being the perfect husband (aside from cheating on his wife that is). Even the little girl, Ellen (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), was amazing at such a young age.

There are parts of the film when Glenn Close's character, Alex, looks absolutely stunning...like when she see's Dan struggling with his umbrella. And in other shots, she is intentionally made to look very off putting, as her character spirals downward.

The scenes where Alex sits alone, flicking a light on and off, listening to Madam Butterfly, contrasted against the scenes of Dan, Beth and their friends having a great time bowling is really powerful.

What initially draws most people to this movie (as it did me) is the subject matter and seeing it all play out. But over time, I come to love the cinematography.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this 10 stars out of 10 is the ending.

Now that I'm older, I believe the original, intended ending is better and more realistic to Alex.

There have been attempts to duplicate the successful Oscar winning thriller but none have ever come close. Even if you've never watched the film before, chances are you've heard a quote from it's many well known phrases. Glenn Close and Michael Douglas are perfection in this cult classic. One of my personal faves.

Darkest, most suspenseful romantic movie I have ever seen.

Pros: Dark.

Suspenseful.

I gave it a 9/10 which is a very high rating by me for a romance movie.

Good acting.

Incredibly original story.

Good story.

Good casting choice.

Underrated (it got 6.9/10 on IMDb, I don't know about other platforms).

Realistic.

Surprising ending.

Etc...:

Cons: Bad quality.

Useless, sexually explicit towards the beginning.

Slow start.

Conclusion: Really good movie that I think you should watch. It contains a lot of suspense. Don't let the romance fool you. Enjoy!!!!!

Extra characters: 10

gjrnkdjh. There we go.

Quintessential erotic-psychological thriller for me. Very silly premise but works perfectly here.

Dont be fooled by the rather average Imdb rating, this is one heck of a juicy thriller about a happily married man, who only ever had 1 short affair in his happily married life, but he didnt choose wisely, because his mistress was a mental patient, who will consequently stalk him viciously. VICIOUSLY. YEAH!

This is a crowd pleaser. But one of the very best kind. Audiences literally roared during viewings in the eighties, because this movie hits a sensitive nerve about the sacredness of family life, which gets brutalized viciously.

Any bad? Yes, you know what's coming storywise miles away, no surprises there, but the brilliant way in which this story is performed just makes up for all the hollywood cliches. It is SO juicy and SO thrilling, that after decades rewatching it again and again, it still stands strong today. One of the biggest popular hits of the entire eighties. Cheating was never the same after this movie came out...

Fatal Attraction is a Classic suspenseful Thriller from the 1980's & is a movie i grew up watching as my mum had it on all the time & yes i witnessed it's greatness at a young age, too young really to watch this 18 certification Thriller but hey i loved this Masterpiece from then & still do now in 2021!!!!!

Michael Douglas gives probably his greatest performance of his excellent career as yuppie type family man who has a steamy affair with a seductive lady played by a career best Glenn Close & things get way out of hand when she becomes scarily obsessed with her new Man & all gets worse when Douglas breaks it off when his beautiful wife is back from out of town played by the beautiful Anne Archer, another fantastic performance here, all the actors give career best performances mixed in with the tense, sexy & suspenseful atmosphere & mood of this Masterpiece that sizzles & shocks in equal measures as obsession becomes more and more dangerous & lives are in danger of a woman with serious mental illness & a taste for sinister actions. The Bunny Boiler is born. The New York City setting is beautiful, moody & still with some urban grit but mostly the City is lovely to look at & complimented by a beautiful music score & lovely cinematography, it's an incredibly crafted Masterpiece of the Thriller genre & a film the great Alfred Hitchcock would've been proud of.

Fatal Attraction is a Classic film in every sense & is one of the most loved movies of the 80's & is considered one of the greatest Thriller's in Cinema history!!!! I grew up with this outstanding, scary & powerful movie & appreciate it's greatness even more now I'm 36 yrs old!!! A movie thst never gets old even if it it's totally dated from the 1980's & such an intense story & blistering performances that it will always be considered a Classic movie & a Masterpiece just like Spielberg's JAWS.

I think everyone knows the story here: A man fools around with a woman suffering from borderline personality disorder, which sparks a downward tailspin in his personal life, to say the least.

Everyone in this film gives a great performance, but it's Glenn Close who was robbed of the Academy Award. I don't know why she hasn't won an Oscar yet because she has given one superb performance after another. I don't even think Alex Forest was one of her best performances. She has demonstrated such versatility and emotion, often in a single, unedited scene, and yet is Oscarless. Go figure...

Glenn Close may not have seemed like an obvious choice for this role, but that's a credit to her acting talents and how she can manipulate any role she tackles. The scene in the restaurant where Close entices Douglas into having a one–night stand is priceless. That scene alone was worth the Academy Award as Close proved she could play sexy, and then some. If they give Judi Dench an Oscar for eight minutes of screen time involving less emotional sustenance in a role (Shakespeare in Love), then politics are running too rampant.

But, in general, this is a very entertaining film with a message to convey. I actually felt sorry for Alex Forest when she was killed. Dan (Michael Douglas) should have been killed if anyone was to be shot. It's typically Hollywood – all that happy ending crap. Real life isn't that easy.

Modern day Hitchcock. Modern suburban classic thriller. This movie started a whole new genre of movies. The stalker. Obsessed lover.

Starts out as a fun loving, successful family. The guy is a successful young lawyer and makes the ill fated mistake of getting involved w another woman.

That woman can't let go. She mistakes sex for love and refuses to let him go. Turns into delusion, obsession, stalking, and danger. The woman is mentally ill.

Michael Douglas is v good looking here and at his peak. Glenn Close does an extremely Oscar worthy performance of someone that is seriously delusional and mentally ill. She deserved an Oscar for this movie.

Moral of the story: don't cheat on your spouse. Don't get involved w someone you just met. Be careful who you get involved with.

One of the top films from eighties, great performances, and a fabulous ending. One of my favorite moments is the cross cutting between the kid running to the cage and Anne Archer heading to the stove...I won't spoil what happens next.

Fatal Attraction is your prototypical 80's thriller that follow along the lines of Dressed to Kill and so on. In other words, it's a romantic thriller and even a borderline slasher film. I enjoyed this movie very much. I heard about the famous scenes, including one with a rabbit, which is what led me to the movie. The buildup is fantastic which leads to an effective ending, though somewhat unbelievable and unoriginal. The film works as a romance film as well as a thriller and at times it can be quite creepy.

Adrian Lyne's film is about a lawyer named Dan Gallagher who is happily married to his loving wife, Beth. When Beth leaves town for the weekend, Dan strikes up an affair with an editor named Alex Forrest. However, Alex refuses to let the affair end and she preys on Dan and his loved ones until he comes to her terms.

The acting is very good. Glenn Close delivers a terrific performance as the malicious Alex Forrest who uses unnecessary means to get her way. Her performance is haunting and the final ten minutes proves that statement. Michael Douglas does a good job, although this is one of his cliché roles. Anne Archer does a great job looking pretty for Dan, and I cannot see why there would be an affair in the first place!

Overall, Fatal Attraction is an excellent thriller that morphs into a slasher film for the final fifteen minutes or so. Not like that is a bad thing. The film is really creepy and it's a wonder how they can get away with these kind of things, especially in the 1980's. The bunny scene is a very influential scene and one that no doubt created similar scenes in other movies. A very creepy, well-done romantic thriller. I rate this film 9/10.