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The Fan

Play trailer Poster for The Fan R,  1981,  1h 35m,  Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 40% 20 Reviews Tomatometer 34% 1,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
40% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Broadway star Sally is successful, famous and working on a new musical. But she's in love with ex-husband Jake, and his absence creates a void in her life. Despite her loneliness, she doesn't reciprocate when a fan, Douglas, starts sending her letters. This angers the delusional admirer so much that he starts getting violent. With secretary Belle and others caught up in the drama, Sally's career and well-being are jeopardized.

Critics Reviews

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Gary Arnold Washington Post Dec 21, 2015
What started out as a taut thriller has somehow evolved into unintentional burlesque, with killer and victim functioning as a second-rate comedy team. Go to Full Review
Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast May 26, 2026
3/5
It's a mess, but it's a watchable mess. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Oct 7, 2025
2.5/4
...enjoyably familiar subject matter that is, at the outset, employed to entertaining effect by Bianchi... Go to Full Review
Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) Sep 9, 2022
The Fan is junk. Go to Full Review
Alan Jones Starburst Jul 27, 2022
There’s nothing more depressing in the cinema than a bad comedy and boy is this one a depressing experience. Go to Full Review
Joe Lipsett Bloody Disgusting Feb 22, 2020
Regardless of which way you want to look at it, though, this film is queer. A young man stalking an older star who is past her prime?...Throw in a...musical, replete with glittering, sequined costumes and go-go boys and you have a stock recipe for camp Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jan 27, 2019 This flick is under-rated and a victim of the era it was released in.
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The Fan

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Ed Bianchi

Director

Lauren Bacall

Sally Ross

Michael Biehn

Douglas Breen

James Garner

Jake Berman

Maureen Stapleton

Belle Goldman

Héctor Elizondo

Police Inspector Raphael Andrews

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The Fan

The Fan (1981) The Fan (1981) The Fan (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Broadway star Sally is successful, famous and working on a new musical. But she's in love with ex-husband Jake, and his absence creates a void in her life. Despite her loneliness, she doesn't reciprocate when a fan, Douglas, starts sending her letters. This angers the delusional admirer so much that he starts getting violent. With secretary Belle and others caught up in the drama, Sally's career and well-being are jeopardized.
Director
Ed Bianchi
Producer
Robert Stigwood
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 15, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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