Opening

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62% The Bling Ring Jun 21
58% Maniac Jun 21
100% A Hijacking Jun 21
68% Unfinished Song Jun 21
100% The Attack Jun 21
—— The Haunting of Helena Jun 21

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Coming Soon

—— How To Make Money Selling Drugs Jun 26
—— White House Down Jun 28
—— The Heat Jun 28
56% I'm So Excited! Jun 28

Safe (1995)

tomatometer

69

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 16
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

74

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 5,788

My Rating

Movie Info

Todd Haynes presents a revisionist take on the paranoia thriller with this story of a Southern California housewife who suddenly falls victim to an inexplicable, apparently incurable illness. Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives with her husband and son in suburban comfort until she collapses one day, for no apparent reason. Her condition worsens in the weeks that follow, as she suffers from coughing fits, exhaustion, and spontaneous nose bleeds, triggered by sources as disparate as car exhaust,

R,

Mystery & Suspense, Drama

Todd Haynes

Aug 21, 2001

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Cast

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All Critics (61) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (10) | DVD (12)

This creepy art movie will stay with you.

July 21, 2010 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In a summer of heavyweight action movies and flyweight romantic comedies, I don't think you'll find a more provocative little number than Safe, which creeps under your skin like a rash.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Todd Haynes has always tended towards the clinical, an approach which in this dark and ambiguous allegory proves ever so coolly appropriate.

July 21, 2010 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

Beautifully constructed, chilling internal nightmare where every scene plays out like a little mini movie in and of itself. Brilliant.

July 21, 2010 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

Like Carol, this gifted filmmaker seems to be trapped inside a shell -- devoting his considerable intelligence mainly to justifying his own sense of paralysis.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile
Urban Cinefile

Though the film had a miniscule budget, it looks outstanding with its dull, muted colors and godawful lite-rock soundtrack.

November 20, 2007 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

Richer in subtext than text, this poignant, much misunderstood deconstructive film, about environmental diseseas, New Age therapy and TV movie of the week, deserves a second look due to meanings and Julianne Moore's terrific performance in a tough role

October 1, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

One of the most mesmerizing and provocative films in recent years.

May 27, 2006 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

Moore gives a superb performance, see it

July 8, 2005
Moviehole

An overpraised, go-nowhere project.

December 8, 2004
Lawrence Journal-World

Pretentious, stilted and beyond dull.

June 11, 2004
Nitrate Online

There is evidence to support a number of claims of Safe's contemporary social relevance, but the film is durably and tacitly ambiguous.

November 20, 2003 Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

[A] dreamy but tough-minded satire.

July 30, 2003 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Stylish, unsettling and deeply provocative, this is brilliant filmmaking on every level, destined to become an American classic.

May 11, 2003 Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall
Shadows on the Wall

Safe is a movie that's so ambivalently torn between mocking its subject and looking at her with complete conviction that it becomes exhilarating.

August 8, 2002 Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com
MovieMartyr.com

A chilling allegorical tale.

April 12, 2002 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Audience Reviews for Safe

Provoking look at how we struggle to deal with disease and mortality in our godless world.

Relevant and frightening if perhaps a tad sluggish and studied. Director Todd Haynes does amazing things on shoestring budgets.
July 3, 2007
brooklynspo

Super Reviewer

i'm pretty sure this is a horror film. it's creepy as hell. director todd haynes walks a tightrope here. we never know for sure whose side he's on. it's verging on parody at some points but never quite. and the sound design is awesome. chilling from the first scene. i see a lot of comments about frustratingly slow pace and tbh it took me more than one sitting but i found it fascinating in the main
September 2, 2009
rubystevens
Stella Dallas

Super Reviewer

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Foreign Titles

  • Safe (1995) (DE)
  • Safe (1995) (UK)
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