Synopsis
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple identities, Alexandra can't prove anything with conventional detective work. With no other option, she goes undercover, pursuing the same man as Catherine, and hoping that Catherine will slip up and reveal her true identity.
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Cast
- Debra WingerAlexandra "Alex" Barnes
- Theresa RussellCatharine Petersen
- Sami FreyPaul Nuytten
- Dennis HopperBen Dumers
- Nicol WilliamsonWilliam McCrory
- Terry O'QuinnBruce
- James HongH. Shin
- Diane LaddEtta
- D.W. MoffettMichael
- Lois SmithSara
Recommendations
- 89
Austin Chronicle
The plot is gripping and relatively fast-paced, and Winger and Russell are excellent counterpoints to each other -- Winger is earthy and likable, and Russell is sexy and sinister. - 80
TV Guide Magazine
Both Russell and Winger give solid performances, and the memory of the complex interplay between their ultimately not-so-very-different characters lingers long after the film has ended. - 70
The New York Times
Comes on with the seductiveness of an expensive perfume that inevitably evaporates before the night is over. However, though it promises more than it can ever deliver, this classy-looking melodrama is soothing, in the way that luxe can be, as well as redeemingly funny, in part, at least, for not becoming mired in its own darker possibilities. - 70
Washington Post
What makes Black Widow special is the fun Rafelson has with it. All the different ways of dying -- from empty scuba tanks to a penicillin allergy to something called Ondine's curse -- become not just plot points but a tapestry of black comedy. - 70
Los Angeles Times
You can be absorbed by Black Widow, fascinated and intrigued by it--and you can capitulate entirely while watching the seductive interplay of these two actresses--but Black Widow never really gets you by the throat. It’s sleek where it should be dangerous. - 70
Washington Post
Winger gets a 10 on the charismometer and gives the film its warmth and innocence. Russell, a wry sensation as Marilyn Monroe in "Insignificance," plays this femme fatale for keeps. - 63
Chicago Sun-Times
Black Widow is an interesting movie struggling to escape from a fatal overload of commercial considerations. - 60
Time Out
There are things to enjoy - committed performances, Conrad Hall's elegant camerawork, a script that becomes pleasurably tortuous towards the end - but the film finally offers far less than meets the eye.
