What to know

critics consensus

A potboiler in the finest sense, Fatal Attraction is a sultry, juicy thriller that's hard to look away from once it gets going. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch

Show all services

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Fatal Attraction Videos

View All Videos (2)

Fatal Attraction Photos

View All Photos (17)

Movie Info

For Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth (Anne Archer), and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex (Glenn Close), everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.

Cast & Crew

Michael Douglas
Dan Gallagher
Glenn Close
Alex Forrest
Anne Archer
Beth Gallagher
Ellen Hamilton Latzen
Ellen Gallagher
Stuart Pankin
Jimmy
Ellen Foley
Hildy
Fred Gwynne
Arthur
Meg Mundy
Joan Rogerson
Adrian Lyne
Director
James Dearden
Writer
Nicholas Meyer
Writer
Stanley R. Jaffe
Producer
Sherry Lansing
Producer
Maurice Lansing
Original Music
Howard Atherton
Cinematographer
Peter E. Berger
Film Editor
Michael Kahn
Film Editor
Risa Bramon Garcia
Casting
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Fatal Attraction

New Certified Fresh Movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime: Major League, Get Shorty, Lots of James Bond, and More
Another Bout of "Babysitting"?
LL Cool J Finds a Multi-Pic Home at Lions Gate
View All

Critic Reviews for Fatal Attraction

All Critics (54) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (13)

  • Under the direction of Adrian Lyne, most of the picture's situations seem like randomly chosen place holders, flat events that just fill time until the final bizarre confrontation.

    June 12, 2013 | Full Review…

    Jay Boyar

    Orlando Sentinel

  • [The film brings] horror home to a place where the grownup moviegoer actually lives.

    February 11, 2008 | Full Review…

    Richard Corliss

    TIME Magazine

  • The screws are tightened expertly in this suspenseful meller about a flipped-out femme who makes life hell for the married man who scorns her.

    February 11, 2008 | Full Review…

    Variety Staff

    Variety

  • While billed as a romance and a thriller, the film strictly qualifies as neither, appealing to our prurience, guilt, hatred, and dread.

    February 11, 2008 | Full Review…

    Jonathan Rosenbaum

    Chicago Reader

  • A predictable dog's dinner of Pavlovian thriller clichés, this will appeal strongly to those who think women should be kept on a short lead.

    January 26, 2006 | Full Review…
    Time Out

  • Years hence, it will be possible to pinpoint the exact moment that produced Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne's new romantic thriller, and the precise circumstances that made it a hit.

    May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5

    Janet Maslin

    New York Times
View All Critic Reviews (54)

Audience Reviews for Fatal Attraction

  • Nov 19, 2016
    Honestly this is just a mediocre film at best. I can't understand why this is supposed to be so critically acclaimed.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
  • May 31, 2016
    A bit slow to begin with, Fatal Attraction borrowed elements from Psycho but unleashed the thriller elements. It may seem a bit corny now, but it was one of the finest when it was released.
    Sylvester K Super Reviewer
  • Nov 29, 2014
    Even almost thirty years later, Fatal Attraction retains its volatile bite. Its slow pace may turn some away, but its thrills are well-preserved.
    Isaac H Super Reviewer
  • Aug 19, 2013
    For the life of me, I can't understand what the appeal of Glenn Close was for Michael Douglas' character but he nonetheless did the deed and we have some wonderful creepy moments that people still talk about to this day. Well delivered.
    John B Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Fatal Attraction Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides