Poison (1991)
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 21
Fresh: 16 | Rotten: 5
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 2
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 1,775
Movie Info
This film has become infamous thanks to the efforts of the Rev. Donald Wildmon, who publicly questioned the fact that NEA dollars were spent on this "filth." While Wildmon's point was certainly overstated, this debut feature from Todd Haynes is quite disturbing. The Poison in question is sex, and its toxic effects are explored in three segments which have been shuffled together like a deck of cards. "Hero" is a pseudo-documentary about a seven-year-old boy who shoots his father and then ascends
Apr 5, 1991 Limited
Feb 15, 2000
Zeitgeist Films
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Larry Maxwell
Dr. Graves -
Edith Meeks
Felicia Beacon -
Millie White
Millie Sklar -
Susan Norman
Nancy Olsen -
Buck Smith
Gregory Lazar -
Scott Renderer
John Broom -
James Lyons
Jack Bolton -
Al Quagliata
Dep. Hansen -
Michelle Sullivan
Prostitute -
John R. Lombardi
Rass -
Tony Pemberton
Young Broom -
Andrew Harpending
Young Bolton -
Edward Allen
Fred Beacon -
Richard Anthony Crenna
Edward Comacho -
Nino Bau
Fontenal Inmate -
Jason Bauer
Doran -
Andrew Bishop
Child's Hands -
Gideon Joslyn Brown
Baton Inmate -
Jim Cagnard
Bartender -
Barry Cassidy
Officer Rilt -
Charles Cavalier
1st Cop -
Maurice Clapisson
1st Guard -
Wayne Compton
Fontenal Inmate -
John P. Connolly
Baton Inmate -
Bruce R. Cook
Dr. Stick -
Eric Cubano
Baton Inmate -
Don Damico
1st Doctor, 2nd Cop -
David Danford
Basco -
Kyle de Camp
Neighbor -
Joe Dietl
Woman in the Alley -
Raymond Dragen
Fontenal Inmate -
Matt Ebert
Guard 2 -
Damien Garcia
Chanci -
Douglas F. Gibson
Van Roven -
Tony Gigante
Inspector -
Anne Giotta
Evelyn McAlpert -
Joey Grant
Jamoke -
Richard Hansen
Narration -
Chris Henricks
Sleazy Man -
Jessica
Nurse -
Rob La Belle
Jay Wete -
Lydia Lafleur
Sylvia Manning -
Marina Lutz
Hazel Lamprecht -
Tom McCullough
Townsperson -
Parlan McGaw
Newscaster -
John McGhee
Fontenal Inmate -
Dani Michaeli
Baton Inmate -
Leah Mullen
Little Girl -
John Nadeau
Doctor -
Ian Nemser
Sean White -
Frank O'Donnell
Old Doctor -
Phil W. Petrie
Doctor -
Gary Ray
Canon -
Anthony Rubustillo
Fontenal Inmate -
Ken Schatz
Preacher -
Aimee Scheff
Neighbor -
Angela Schreiber
Florence Giddons -
Michael Silverman
Foster Father -
Justin Silverstein
Jake -
Les Simpson
Miss Tim -
Chris Singh
Chris -
Jonathan Smit
Fontenal Inmate -
Elyse Steinberg
Little Girl -
Oscar Tevez
Fontenal Inmate -
Chava Tiger
Townsperson -
Lorraine Traverson
Nurse -
Marie-Francoise Vachon
Foster Mother -
Michael Shawn Wilson
Broom-Age 6 -
Evan Dunsky
Dr. MacArthur -
Lauren Zalaznick
Waitress -
Michael A. Miranda
Fontenal Inmate -
Carlos Jimenez
Jose -
John Duffy
Fontenal Inmate -
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All Critics (21) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (5) | DVD (2)
I could have done without the designer prison, but most of the other stylistic conceits work.
Arguably the strongest American debut feature of the '90s.
Todd Haynes' Poison is a conceptually bold, stylistically audacious first feature, a compelling study of different forms of deviance.
Boldly self conscious, Poison switches channels among its three stylistically varied but thematically linked tales with cumulative, claustrophobic power.
Compelling and quirkily intelligent; Genet, one feels, would have been impressed.
The movie needs to evoke more than the ghost of Genet to give it resonance.
A stylish study of human deviance at its dirtiest.
An exercise in cinema of ideas that, while audacious and occasionally compelling, is ultimately less than the sum of its parts.
captures the spirit of Genet's work
A very tough, queasy film, but extremely powerful and a strong feature debut for Haynes.
Haynes' brilliant feature debut is a triptych of visually divergent episodes, each set in a wolrd dying of panicky fright. Of the three tales, my favorite is "Horror," a poignant parody of b/w movies shot in slightly exaggerated noir vein.
Todd Haynes boldly announces himself as a force to be reckoned with.
A mysterious, funny, sexy, and scary triptych; each film works beautifully on its own, and even better in relation to the others.
The overall effect shows a born director following his creative instincts fearlessly.
Repellent in a way few films ever have been
The stories don't really work together, and Haynes attempts to compensate by intermingling them, trying to force viewers to see patterns.
"The whole world is dying of panicky fright" are the words that open the movie. Poison makes the fear palpable.
Audience Reviews for Poison
Super Reviewer
Story 1:
"Hero"
Tells the story of seven-year old Richie Beacon, who kills his brutally abusive father, and disappears in a mysterious way, according to his mother.
Hero is shot in a documentary style, with interviews from people's accounts on the story and re-enactments. This story was the creepiest to me, especially the shocking and most bizarre ending. Everything in this story felt very real, and it was always convincing.
What really happened to Richie Beacon? And most of all...who was he REALLY?
Chilling stuff!
Story 2:
"Horror"
Shot in black and white, and plays off like a 50's sc-fi movie. Horror tells the story of a scientist who isolates the elixir of human sexuality, drinks it, and becomes a festering, contagious murderer. This story was fu*king gross. Disgusting and nauseating. But it was great too! It's a love story entangled with sheer terror. Very fascinating...and icky at the same time!
Story 3:
"The Homo"
Revolves around lifelong prisoner John Broom's obsession with fellow inmate Jack Bolten. Told through Broom's thoughts, much of this story within a story is communicated through flashbacks and vignettes that develop the characters of the two men.
The Homo is a depressing and revolting story. Amazing character development and storytelling, but very difficult to stomach, especially the "spitting" scene. It's sad, bleak, and uncompromising. This one will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
All these stories are told throughout and are in no specific order, although each are linked thematically to make a whole. It's a shocking, and bizarre movie, but yet has lot's of meaning. Great performances and solid storytelling, and great script. A very disturbing movie, but I highly recommend it to people who are looking for something quite different.
"Todd Haynes's "Poison" is a vision of unrelenting, febrile darkness. It presents three disparate stories in three greatly varied styles, all inspired by the work of Jean Genet, and its effect, as a whole, is like that of an especially vile infection; it moves diabolically through your system, spreading fever and nausea as it goes."
- Washington Post
"Poison weaves a trio of disparate stories into a fragmentary, postmodern triptych, one held together (however vaguely)by lurid themes of sexuality, violence, and personal revolt. The movie wants to shock, and it does."
- EW
"Poison is a very tough, queasy film, but extremely powerful and a strong feature debut for Haynes."
- Celebrity Wonder
"Many films try to be subversive, try to undermine the status quo in ways large and small (and Haynes is still up to that, to a lesser extent), but few succeed, too often ending in broad strokes or empty campiness (John Waters' films). Poison works because it is unafraid of being shocking, but still has a point to get across, and handles the balance well."
- HDFest
"Poison is a disturbing film. It will make you uncomfortable, but it also will make you think."
- Filmreference
"Part horror film, part drama, part expose, Poison is 1991's most controversial film."
- Café DVD
"Poison is a wholly original, provocative, unsettling and intelligent film that is a must-see for adventurous videophiles."
- TLA Video
Super Reviewer
-
- Fontenal Inmate: Someone's got Rass tied up by the balls.
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Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Poison (1991) (DE)
- Poison (1991) (UK)


Top Critic
I think I could find a way to link these three stories to sexuality, specifically gay sexuality, just as several other reviewers have done, but the acting and writing were so deplorable that it made it difficult to follow the film. I understand that "Horror," the B-movie storyline, was supposed to have bad acting, but there is no such excuse for the other two stories. The performances were so stilted and self-conscious, and it seemed like first-time director Todd Haynes didn't shoot enough takes.
Overall, I think there might be something interesting underneath the crappy acting, but I couldn't bring myself to see it clearly.