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Poison

Play trailer Poster for Poison 1991 1h 26m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Three stories: "Hero," about a boy who kills his father; "Horror," black-and-white sci-fi; and "Homo," set in prison.
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Poison

Poison

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Critics Consensus

Tinged with claustrophobic and quirky horror, Poison is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 11/09/2010
I could have done without the designer prison, but most of the other stylistic conceits work. Go to Full Review Rob Nelson Village Voice 11/09/2010
Arguably the strongest American debut feature of the '90s. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety 03/26/2009
Todd Haynes' Poison is a conceptually bold, stylistically audacious first feature, a compelling study of different forms of deviance. Go to Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
2.5/4
Todd Haynes has talent. The failures of his film are those of a director reaching high above the usual Hollywood product. And I would unhesitatingly declare him an artist if only on the basis of Poison's opening sequence. Go to Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) 09/08/2022
Haynes is able to able to actually subvert the science fiction/horror genre—at worst socially conservative, at best a sympathetic cautionary tale. Go to Full Review David Ehrenstein The Advocate 04/05/2022
Haynes demonstrates an understanding of Genet’s centrality to gay culture while suggesting ways that Genet’s works can be used as a tool for exploring personal and political awareness. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dark D @RT65718715 Apr 11 Quirky little student-type film. Out of the 3 stories, I enjoyed the kid killer and love potion. Surprisingly, the prison soft core porn was blah. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 24 Adults only ages 18 and older. See more Sam N @RT61650855 03/28/2025 Watched Poison at 3am when I couldn’t sleep—probably not the wisest choice. It’s bold, brash, and all a bit much when your brain’s half-mush. Some fascinating ideas and striking moments, though. I didn’t love it, but I’m curious enough to give it another go when I’m properly awake See more PridePosterStudios @RT04271525 09/20/2023 Just a bit much really, isn’t it. Need a nice cup of tea now. See more georgan g @RT98616417 07/22/2021 This is a very odd movie with scary scenes mixed with goofy ones. See more 12/29/2015 An interesting movie from Todd Haynes with beautiful cinematography and great performances all around. See more Read all reviews
Poison

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Cast & Crew

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Todd Haynes

Director

Edith Meeks

Felicia Beacon

Larry Maxwell

Dr. Graves

Scott Renderer

John Broom

Millie White

Millie Sklar

Buck Smith

Gregory Lazar

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Poison

Poison (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Three stories: "Hero," about a boy who kills his father; "Horror," black-and-white sci-fi; and "Homo," set in prison.
Director
Todd Haynes
Producer
Christine Vachon
Screenwriter
Jean Genet
Production Co
Killer Films, Bronze Eye Productions, Poison L.P.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 13, 2017
Runtime
1h 26m