RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Heavenly Creatures (1994)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
95 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:39

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.2/10

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: HEAVENLY CREATURES represented a departure of sorts for horror director Peter Jackson and was the first film to earn him widespread critical acclaim. Jackson both co-wrote and co-produced the... HEAVENLY CREATURES represented a departure of sorts for horror director Peter Jackson and was the first film to earn him widespread critical acclaim. Jackson both co-wrote and co-produced the picture, which is based on an actual 1954 murder case. The two protagonists, New Zealand schoolgirls Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, first meet when Juliet (Kate Winslet in her silver-screen debut) is introduced to Pauline's class as a new student. Pauline (Melanie Lynskey), an introvert who feels misunderstood by her family and peers, is instantly smitten with the sophisticated and self-confident newcomer, and the girls become best friends. Eventually, Pauline and Juliet begin spending more and more time together, withdrawing into a magical land of their own invention--Borovnia, a fairy-tale kingdom populated by lifesize clay figures. The girls' distraught families fear that the friendship is becoming unhealthy, and Juliet's parents decide to end things by sending their daughter away. Faced with their impending separation, the girls decide nothing will tear them apart, leading to an unexpectedly grisly denouement made even more unnerving by the ignorance of their own delusion. A harrowing story of misdirected adolescent creativity, Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES is chillingly unforgettable. [More]

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent, Clive Merrison, Simon O'Connor

Director: Peter Jackson

Director: Peter Jackson

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Sep 24, 2002

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Heavenly Creatures
  • Thrilling and provocative, HEAVENLY CREATURES is the highly acclaimed, true-life story of the shocking crime that stunned a nation! When circumstances bring together two bright and highly imaginative teenage schoolgirls, they quickly form an unwavering bond, creating a fantasy world that only they can share. But soon their parents, disturbed by the intensity of the friendship, threaten to keep them apart. In retaliation, the girls vow to stay together, devising a secret plan that leads to shocking consequences! With captivating performances and startlingly original visual effects, HEAVENLY CREATURES is gripping entertainment you won't soon forget!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Heavenly Creatures

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by source)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/13/03
    Mike McGranaghan
    Mike McGranaghan
    Aisle Seat

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    04/22/05
    Philip Martin
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    The movie that first got Jackson & Winslet noticed

    comment Comment
    03/29/06
    Lori Hoffman
    Lori Hoffman
    Atlantic City Weekly

    ...A work of remarkable clarity and vision, as well as one of the most original pictures of this or any other year.

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Joey O'Bryan
    Joey O'Bryan
    Austin Chronicle

    17-year-old Kate Winslet made her film debut in this compelling blend of true crime and dark fantasy...

    Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
    04/17/01
    Neil Smith
    Neil Smith
    BBC

    The film's structure demands rational and beautiful segues from the real world into fantasia, a ballet of sensibilities that Jackson pulls off without a misstep.

    Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

    Fantasy and reality blur in a chilling film that shows Jackson's limitless potential

    comment Comment
    09/06/06
    Rob Thomas
    Rob Thomas
    Capital Times (Madison, WI)

    Unlike the campy excess of Jackson's earlier Dead Alive, deliberate overkill ltimately points toward a dearth of ideas rather than a surfeit.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    02/11/08
    Jonathan Rosenbaum
    Jonathan Rosenbaum
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    What makes Jackson's film enthralling and frightening is the way it shows these two unhappy girls, creating an alternative world so safe and attractive they thought it was worth killing for.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Roger Ebert
    Roger Ebert
    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The single best film in Jackson's filmography, and a compliment to New Zealand cinema.

    Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
    08/12/02
    Joshua Tyler
    Joshua Tyler
    CinemaBlend.com

    This incredible film may be director Peter Jackson's masterpiece.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment 1 Comment
    02/07/07
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
    N/R

    A movie that begins with high tension gradually fizzles out.

    Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Chris Hicks
    Chris Hicks
    Deseret News, Salt Lake City
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Edinburgh U Film Society | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Keith H. Brown
    Keith H. Brown
    Edinburgh U Film Society

    The inner tension of the film emerges from Jackson's enjoyment of the girls' bustling insanity and then his gradual withdrawal from it.

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    03/11/08
    Rob Gonsalves
    Rob Gonsalves
    eFilmCritic.com

    A dark, astounding film from Peter Jackson, showing his mastery of blending fact and fantasy. A deserved winner of Venice Festival's Silver Lion and Toronto Fest's Critics Award. Along with Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, this is 1994's most audacious film.

    Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
    12/04/06
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    06/06/01
    Empire Magazine

    One of the most genuinely disturbing films I have ever seen.

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/08/02
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    Film Threat

    Jackson's unique style and uncanny ability as a director make this one of the best and most powerful films of 1994.

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Christopher Null
    Christopher Null
    Filmcritic.com

    Powerful

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    09/27/02
    Christopher Null
    Christopher Null
    Filmcritic.com

    A beautiful, haunting masterpiece from Peter Jackson, and proof that The Lord of the Rings isn't the only rabbit in his hat.

    comment Comment
    09/06/02
    Rob Vaux
    Rob Vaux
    Flipside Movie Emporium
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by source)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for Heavenly Creatures

    December 13, 2005: Critical Consensus: Crown This "Kong"
    The original "King Kong" is a movie so loved, and so emulated, that it would seem a foolhardy task to try to remake it. But Peter Jackson is a director who dreams big,... More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    36% 36% Angels & Demons
    25% 25% Four Christmases
    68% 68% Funny People
    95% 95% Star Trek
    14% 14% The Ugly Truth

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    32% 32% Terminator Salvation
    44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
    86% 86% A Christmas Tale
    60% 60% Paper Heart

    More New Releases…

    RT On Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196

    What’s Hot On RT

    Disney Countdown

    Disney Countdown

    Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

    RT's Gift Guide

    RT's Gift Guide

    Give the best movies, gear, and more!

    Jason Reitman

    Jason Reitman

    The Up in the Air director's Five Faves

    Friday Harvest

    Friday Harvest

    This week's best pics, vids, and posters!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
    21
    • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
    24
    • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
    26
    • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
    22
    • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
    42
    • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
    2
    • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
    159
    • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
    56
    • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
    14
    • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
    18
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
    76
    • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
    50
    • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
    49
    • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
    46
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
    43
    • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
    40
    • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
    38
    • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
    33
    • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
    26
    • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
    22
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
    2
    • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
    17
    • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
    12
    • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
    22
    • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
    8
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    22
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    9
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
    • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
    28
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • Heavenly Creatures at Rotten Tomatoes

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    History of Disney Animation
    History of Disney Animation External Link

    MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

    90 Years of Screen Vampires
    90 Years of Screen Vampires External Link

    TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

    Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
    Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones External Link

    Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

    Recent Headlines as TV Movies
    Recent Headlines as TV Movies External Link

    AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

    The Death of Original Thought
    The Death of Original Thought External Link

    Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.

    Promos
    Follow RT on Twitter
    Follow RT on Twitter External Link

    Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.