BLACK WIDOW (1987) - Movie Review

Director: Bob Rafelson
Starring: Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, Dennis Hopper, Terry O'Quinn, Diane Ladd, Lois Smith, D.W. Moffett
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Writer: Ron Bass
Runtime: 102 min
Rated: R
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Debra Winger and Theresa Russell star in this dark psychological thriller directed by Bob Rafelson. When a government investigator (Winger) notices that a number of wealthy men were all married to the same woman at the time of their deaths, she becomes suspicious of the sultry beauty (Russell). But the more obsessed she becomes with the mysterious woman, the more she puts herself in danger.

Review:

It seems like the 1980s are an almost endless source of overlooked classics. Such is the case with the 1987 film "Black Widow" directed by Bob Rafelson, who is best known for the Jack Nicholson movies "Five Easy Pieces" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice". This was Rafelson's first film after a six year hiatus, and the script is penned by Ronald Bass ("Rain Man"). The steamy neo-noir thriller follows Justice Department agent Alexandra Barnes (Debra Winger) who is hot on the trail of a serial killer (Theresa Russell) who marries wealthy men who have a habit of turning up dead from natural causes despite seemingly being in good health.

The movie's pacing is typical noir slow-boil pacing, which at first might discourage some viewers, but while it does take a while to get going, the halfway mark is where things become really interesting. The cat-and-mouse game between the two becomes a twisted psychological entanglement as Alexandra's obsession with catching the black widow has more to do with her own unresolved issues and a profound fascination with the killer than serving justice. The closer she gets to her target, the greater the stakes for both women.

Winger and Russell are strong leads, delivering intense, riveting performances, especially when they play off of each other. The characters are surprisingly complex and the script invites reflection on some interesting themes relating to sexism, which are handled with a perceptive touch without turning the film into a feminist manifesto. Russell's femme fatale remains a mystery throughout, which is the smart thing to do, because over-explaining her motives would have completely ruined the character.

My one big complaint about the movie is that at times the story feels telegraphed, jumping from one plot point to another a little too quickly, which is ironic given how slow the build up is. Regardless, Rafelson's direction never wavers and he sees the film through to its wonderfully twisty finale.

At a first glance you could easily be fooled into thinking "Black Widow" is just another unremarkable psychological thriller, but it was way ahead of its time by featuring a female protagonist, which is a rare occurance in noir, and elegantly subverting noir tropes. This is an overlooked, underrated and misunderstood gem of the 1980s that deserves a closer look.

SCORE: 8/10