Do you want to see ‘Whirlpool’?

Add to Netflix

Whirlpool (1949)

tomatometer

All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 8
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 1

No consensus yet.

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 1

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 859

My Rating

Added to your Facebook Timeline. — undo

Movie Info

In this compelling and unusual psychological melodrama Ann Sutton (Gene Tierney), a woman tormented by her secret kleptomania seeks help from a unscrupulous hypnotist David Korvo (Jose Ferrer). Although she is married to a successful psychiatrist (Richard Conte), and has no need to steal the items which she could easily purchase, she finds herself powerless to control her urge. She is finally caught when she attempts to steal a brooch from a department store but she is saved by Korvo who

Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.

Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

Directed By: Otto Preminger

Written By: Ben Hecht, Andrew Solt

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1949 Wide

On DVD: Sep 6, 2005

Cast

Gene Tierney
Ann Sutton
Richard Conte
Dr. William Sutton
Jos� Ferrer
David Korvo
Charles Bickford
Lt. Colton
Barbara O'Neil
Theresa Randolph
Eduard Franz
Martin Avery
Constance Collier
Tina Cosgrove
Fortunio Bonanova
Feruccio di Ravallo
Ruth Lee
Miss Hall
Bruce Hamilton
Lt. Jeffreys
Alex Gerry
Dr. Peter Duval
Larry Keating
Mr. Simms
Mauritz Hugo
Hotel Clerk
John Trebach
Freddie
Myrtle Anderson
Agnes
Lawrence Dobkin
Surgeon Wayne
Nancy Valentine
Taffy Lou
Clancy Cooper
Watchman
Eddie Dunn
Watchman
Randy Stuart
Miss Landau
Helen Westcott
The Secretary
Mack Williams
Whorton
Howard Negley
Gordon
Charles Flynn
Policeman
Margaret Brayton
Policewoman
Sue Carlton
Elevator Girl
Robert Foulk
Andy
Ted Jordan
Parking Attendant
Ian MacDonald
Store Detective Hogan
Phyllis Hill
Cocktail Party Guest
Roger Moore
Fingerprint Man

Critic Reviews for Whirlpool

All Critics (8) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (1) | DVD (1)

There is no doubt that people will do strange things under hypnotic spell and that the techniques of hypnotism may be villainously employed. But you don't catch this fairly rational corner believing for one minute the hocuspocus that goes on.

October 23, 2007 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

Preminger's ambiguous relation to his characters and his sense of moral relativity have seldom been put to such haunting use.

October 23, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

...a sporadically trashy, thoroughly absurd murder mystery.

June 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Very wry, very Viennese satire of psychoanalysis as bourgeois fad

March 14, 2010 Full Review Source: CinePassion

| Comment

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Directed with a healthy feel for his twisted characters by Otto Preminger.

February 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A daft premise does little to detract from the enjoyment of this tense, well-made murder mystery.

November 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

It's a fine example of the way Preminger, on occasion, managed to deflect routine melodrama into something more personal and profound.

October 23, 2007 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Gripping throughout.

October 23, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

[A] somewhat iffy categorization as noir...

October 13, 2005 Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine

| Comment

Brent Simon

Now Playing Magazine Source: Now Playing Magazine

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Whirlpool

View All

Tierney plays a woman who has kleptomania, and doesn't want her husband to find out. It's very thrilling, I liked it.

September 5, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

Not so great. Relies heavily on psychology practices from over half a century ago which ultimately dates it.

November 22, 2006

Michael Gildea

Super Reviewer

Whirlpool Quotes

View All

No quotes approved yet for Whirlpool. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Submit a Quote from 'Whirlpool'

A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.

Example:

Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try.
Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.