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A Kiss Before Dying

A Kiss Before Dying

Thriller · Drama · Crime · 1956

A college student tries to get rich quick by wooing two wealthy sisters.

Movie details

A Kiss Before Dying

“He had looks, charm ... and killer instincts.”

1956 Thriller · Drama · Crime 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A college student tries to get rich quick by wooing two wealthy sisters.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over A Kiss Before Dying?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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They Made Me a Fugitive

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After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.

Five Minutes of Heaven

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The Hitch-Hiker

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Brute Force

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The Night of the Hunter

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The Pelican Brief

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Gerd Oswald

Written by

Lawrence Roman

Robert Wagner

Robert Wagner

Bud Corliss

Jeffrey Hunter

Jeffrey Hunter

Gordon Grant

Virginia Leith

Virginia Leith

Ellen Kingship

Joanne Woodward

Joanne Woodward

Dorothy ('Dorie') Kingship

Mary Astor

Mary Astor

Mrs. Corliss

George Macready

George Macready

Leo Kingship

Robert Quarry

Robert Quarry

Dwight Powell

Court is in session

Put A Kiss Before Dying on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.