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Black Swan

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Black Swan R 2010 1h 48m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 320 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.
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Black Swan

Black Swan

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Critics Consensus

Bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic, Black Swan glides on Darren Aronofsky's bold direction -- and a bravura performance from Natalie Portman.

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Critics Reviews

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Julie and Brandy Autostraddle Aug 31, 2021
What were they trying to say? What happened?... You're all pretending you know what it means. Go to Full Review
Phoenix Danger Autostraddle Jun 8, 2021
The impeccable casting adds an elevated element of reality to a film that already hits so close to home. Go to Full Review
Deborah Ross The Spectator Aug 30, 2018
This is part horror, part thriller, part Freudian nightmare and not a pretty film, as I said, nor an easy watch, but it's so unexpected and out there and passionate it keeps you with it and involved all the way. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Dec 6, 2025
4/4
The best picture of 2010, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a messy masterpiece. Go to Full Review
Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 11, 2025
4/5
Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky are collaborating at the top of their game for this terrifying, gorgeous, and bewildering descent into madness. Go to Full Review
Gayle Sequeira BFI Aug 27, 2025
Doubles, mirror images and unnerving doppelgängers dot this tale of a repressed, rigid ballerina (Natalie Portman), whose artistic director pushes her to lose herself in her art during a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Instead, she loses her head. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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L E O Sep 3, 2025 I was able to watch the 15th Anniversary IMAX edition of this film, but my critique is about the movie itself. Great film, loved immersing myself and disassociating from the outside world during this movie. It is truly worth watching in theaters if you can find it again, but the plot is great, it's a very accurate depiction of the dance world (I have some experience) and it was a pleasure to see it depicted on the big screen. The cinematography is amazing, the acting superb! See more Ryan Aug 22, 2025 Thanks to its haunting score and Natalie Portman's Oscar-winning performance, Black Swan is a near perfect blend of horror and psychological tension. See more V Aug 22, 2025 The Greatest lock in of all time See more Jack G @RT36252320 13 hrs ago Heavy handed, Hypersexualized, and highly predictable, Black Swan is admittedly a well made film, but just not for me. Cause god this film is problematic. The film takes the narrative of Swan Lake and recontextualizes it to create a new narrative. The plot of the movie is spoiled within the first 15 minutes by the director as it is told to you beat by beat of what will unfold. Once the movie gives you that context, you either pick up on it or you don't. If you do then you know exactly where the movie is going, but if you don't then you are in for a shock. As soon as Lily was in all black I knew exactly where this was going for the next hour and a half. Beth is the reflection of what Nina will become. Like I can see why critics liked this film as the direction, the visuals, the metatext, the acting, and what not is all very interestingly done but, I just couldn't get into the film and just didn't really enjoy it. See more SIMAS C @simas_eros 4 days ago From the director of the unforgettable "Requiem for a Dream" comes another unforgettable and sweeping film, exploring the complex web of love, desire, hatred, and envy between two ballerinas competing for the lead role in a ballet. The story is rich in metaphors—much like the ballet itself—reaching its climax in a moment of fatal passion, where reality and fantasy blur into an apotheosis of tension and madness. Natalie Portman is magnificent. See more Rohit kumar T @RT26243747 Oct 8, 2026 The movie is a great portrayal of what happens to a person who constantly seeks perfectionism in everything and not merely tries to live life freely without proving themselves, amazing movie and Natalie Portman did a great job. See more Read all reviews
Black Swan

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Movie Info

Synopsis Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.
Director
Darren Aronofsky
Producer
Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
Screenwriter
Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
Cross Creek Pictures, Dune, Protozoa Pictures, Phoenix Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Disturbing Violent Images|Some Drug Use|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 17, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$107.0M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS, Dolby
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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