Pretty Poison

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Pretty Poison

R,

1968,

1h 29m,

Mystery & Thriller

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100%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Paranoid parolee Dennis Pitt (Anthony Perkins) strives to fit into everyday life working at a chemical factory but soon comes to believe the company is purposely polluting the town's water supply. Befriended by an attractive high school drum majorette, Sue Ann Stepanek (Tuesday Weld), Dennis is delighted when she approves of his scheme to pretend to be a CIA agent in order to destroy the factory. The plan goes awry, and the hapless Dennis becomes a pawn in Sue Ann's own devious plot.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Jul 6, 2022

Pretty Poison is a good little movie, and I use “little” not in a pejorative sense but as a form of protection and also a term of affection.

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Joe Morgenstern

Newsweek

Jul 6, 2022

This is a lot for a ninety-minute movie to have on its mind, yet Black builds his scenes and directs his actors with great lucidity.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Apr 14, 2020

The nerve-jangling tale of looming chaos in idyllic surroundings conveys a sense of a world out of whack; it virtually shrieks with the era’s political and social turmoil.

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Lexi Amoriello

Movie Recs by Lex

Jul 11, 2026

If you love campy dark comedy thrillers about people who are mentally unwell, then you’ll probably enjoy it.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

May 13, 2023

3/4

Tuesday Weld is excellent as the lethal Lolita.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jan 27, 2017

...He's an older guy, to be sure, and she's a beautiful high school majorette seemingly charmed by his secretive life and acronym-dotted small talk, but behind her schoolgirl smile is a cagey, bored girl with a sociopathic streak ...

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George R

Jan 31, 2018

An excellent black comedy from the late 60s that more than stands the test of time, but I take issue with Hal Erickson's description of the lead character as "psychotic," much more of a fantasist around who things go horribly wrong. Perkins and Weld play their roles to perfection.

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Draco P

Jan 14, 2018

Fantastic study of two troubled young people, with surprises aplenty. I giggled quite a lot at its dark comedic elements, yet there is something sinister here.

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George L

Oct 28, 2017

What starts as a weak, typecast vehicle for Perkins becomes a tour de force for Weld, Garland, & yes - Perkins. It may take one to know one; but think of that phrase in the reverse situation...

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Hermione S

May 7, 2017

A little cult movie from the 60s. The typical theme of the 60s - rebellious youths, a boy and a girl. Performances are memorable and iconic. It's hard to say who is more dangerous, a crazy one or a normal one.

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Anakin R

Jul 1, 2011

Schizophrenic Dennis (Anthony Perkins) should never have been released from Prison, He befriends a High school Girl (Tuesday Weld) & convinces her that he is a Spy in need of her help.He is Charming & Handsome, so she belives him & gets sucked in by the intrigue.Very Very Good, also remade with Grant Show in the 90's & I can't find it on here (Flixter), but it's a Modern Day remake of the same story. Moral To the Story:Shoulda believed your Mother when she warned you against men claiming they "Need Your Help", LOL

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Noel Black

Director

Anthony Perkins

Dennis Pitt

Tuesday Weld

Sue Ann Stepanek

Beverly Garland

Mrs. Stepanek

John Randolph

Morton Azenauer

Dick O'Neill

Bud Munsch

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Synopsis

Paranoid parolee Dennis Pitt (Anthony Perkins) strives to fit into everyday life working at a chemical factory but soon comes to believe the company is purposely polluting the town's water supply. Befriended by an attractive high school drum majorette, Sue Ann Stepanek (Tuesday Weld), Dennis is delighted when she approves of his scheme to pretend to be a CIA agent in order to destroy the factory. The plan goes awry, and the hapless Dennis becomes a pawn in Sue Ann's own devious plot.

Director: Noel Black
Producer: Marshall Backlar, Noel Black
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 1968, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2010
Runtime: 1h 29m

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