compulsion movie review 2019

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Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Richard Fleischer

Orson Welles

Jonathan Wilk

Dean Stockwell

Judd Steiner

Bradford Dillman

Arthur A. Straus

Diane Varsi

E.G. Marshall

District Attorney Harold Horn

More Like This

‘Compulsion’ – Neil Marshall’s Next Movie Is a Throwback Erotic Thriller

Director Neil Marshall  ( Dog Soldiers, The Descent ) has set up his next project, with Deadline reporting that Marshall will direct the upcoming Compulsion , which he also wrote.

Anna-Maria Sieklucka  ( 365 Days ) will star alongside Charlotte Kirk  ( The Lair ).

Deadline details, “Inspired by such notable erotic thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s as  Fatal Attraction ,  Basic Instinct  and  Single White Female ,  Compulsion centers around the dynamically twisted relationship between two women, as both become embroiled in a series of horrific murders on the island of Malta.

“Kirk’s character, Diana, is described as a flamboyant and ruthless thief; Sieklucka’s Evie, as a seemingly innocent young woman with a troubled past and a dark secret.”

Zach McGowan ( Dracula Untold ), Giulia Gorietti ( Suburra ), Cinzia Monreale ( The Beyond ) and Harvey Dean ( Sea Dragon ) will also star in Neil Marshall’s new movie.

Filming begins next week in Malta, Deadline also notes.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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From creator Violet Karim , Death of a Pop Star ” tells the supernatural story of Sophie, a beloved pop star at the top of her game — until she takes a tumble from the top of the stairs and wakes up in Hell. Lucky for her, the Grim Reaper is her number one fan and, in a desperate attempt to save his idol, secretly gives Sophie a second chance at life back on Earth.

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Compulsion — release date, cast interview, trailer, plot, first looks and all about the drama on gambling addiction

Betting addiction thriller Compulsion on Channel 5 stars Leanne Best, Anna Chancellor and Hayley Mills.

Channel 5 thriller Compulsion stars Leanne Best as Jenny Challoner, a paramedic who after a fatal train crash develops a gambling addiction to try to cope with her PTSD. Anna Chancellor plays good Samaritan Sasha who offers Jenny a way out when she gets into debt to some seriously dangerous people. Legendary Hollywood actor Hayley Mills also stars in the four-parter playing against type in a totally sinister role (read more below).

So here's everything you need to know about Compulsion on Channel 5...

Compulsion release date

Compulsion is a four-part drama that arrives on Channel 5 on Tuesday April 12 at 9pm and runs for four consecutive nights finishing on Good Friday April 15 at 9pm. It will launch on streaming service My5 shortly afterwards. We can also update on a US and worldwide release date in 2022 when we find out.

Is there a Compulsion trailer?

Yes a Compulsion trailer has now been launched by Channel 5. Do take a look below...

Compulsion plot

Compulsion puts the spotlight on gambling addiction as it follows paramedic Jenny Challoner (Leanne Best). After being involved in a fatal train crash she develops an all-consuming gambling addiction as a way of coping with her PTSD.  She becomes heavily in debt to some dangerous people, but is relieved when help arrives in the form of a good Samaritan Sasha (Anna Chancellor), who offers Jenny a way out. However, it seems Sasha has her own agenda, one which will ultimately force Jenny to take the biggest gamble of her life. Hayley Mills plays Connie Bertram, a fearsome loan shark who holds Jenny’s fate in her hands. 

Compulsion cast — Leanne Best on playing paramedic Jenny Challoner

The lead role in Compulsion, namely paramedic Jenny Challoner, is played by Leanne Best who told us more about her role and the story behind the four-part drama...

Leanne says: "She’s a pretty confident paramedic and mum, until a tragic incident happens, which triggers a set of post trauma-related behaviours that start to have a really negative affect on her personal life. At its heart, the story explores the universal themes of friendship, family, love, loss and trauma and what happens to ordinary people who are struggling in extraordinary circumstances.

"The embarrassment of her online gambling habit triggers an isolation that ruptures this really safe, secure family unit. The challenging thing about addiction is the person is absolutely deserving of compassion but quite often the behaviour is so damaging to the people around them that it’s hard for loved ones to feel that compassion."

Leanne did speak to some gambling addicts about the role: "Mainly in terms of addictive impulses. The really interesting thing that kept coming up was the issue of willpower. The compulsion to keep doing it overrides any intellectual reasoning about why you shouldn’t. Addiction is so prevalent, and we all know somebody who’s suffered with it, but nobody gets an instruction manual on how to deal with it."

Leanne starred in BBC1 drama Four Lives earlier this year. In that harrowing drama about the victims of serial killer Stephen Port Leanne played Kate, the sister of Sarah Sak (Sheridan Smith). Last year she also starred as Anna in the Channel 4 thriller Close To Me . She plays Frida in Young Wallander too.

Compulsion cast — Anna Chancellor as Sasha Santoro

Anna Chancellor stars in Compulsion as Sasha Santoro, who looks like she could be the answer to Jenny's prayers, but may well have ulterior motives. Anna is of course famous for playing 'Duckface' in the hit film Four Weddings And A Funeral . She's recently starred in dramas such as Hotel Portofino , The Split and Pennyworth .

Leanne Best told us more about Jenny's dodgy connection to Sasha in the drama: "Jenny has a chance meeting with Sasha and at first it looks like she might be something of a saviour and a best friend. But as the story goes on we start to see that it might be a bit more complicated between the two of them. I won’t give too much away, but there’s something else going on that Jenny has missed because she’s been too distressed to think clearly."

Compulsion cast — Hayley Mills as Connie Bertram

Playing fearsome loan shark Connie Bertram in Compulsion is really against type for former Hollywood child star Hayley Mills who after all starred in cute Disney films such as Pollyanna , The Parent Trap and That Darn Cat! . The daughter of Sir John Mills, Hayley has had a long career in acting and is remembered for playing Caroline du Plessis ITV drama Wild At Heart . She starred in BBC1's Moving On and most recently showed up in Sky movie Last Train To Christmas . Her son Crispin was the lead singer in 1990s rock band Kula Shaker.

Leanne Best was thrilled to work with Hayley, as she revealed to us: "Oh my gosh, she’s so good in it! I mean, she’s a Hollywood icon, a cultural stalwart of TV and cinema, but she’s also so generous in person and so classy, so gracious and so lovely. I found it really unsettling, though, because she plays this slightly reptilian woman. She looks really lovely in a twin set and pearls, but she’s actually really terrifying! And what’s quite clever about the casting is that people might have a stereotypical view of what loan sharks look like – and they don’t look like Hayley Mills! All of that adds to the drama of the series and the rising panic that Jenny has."

Who else is starring in Compulsion?

The Compulsion cast also includes Ben Tavassoli as Jenny's paramedic colleague Raj, plus Krissi Bohn as Ali and Danny Ashok as Chris (see both in main picture above).

Compulsion — what else we know

Compulsion is written by Sarah Deane ( Moving On, Clink ) and directed by Noreen Kershaw ( Call the Midwife , Pitching In , Our Girl ).

Sebastian Cardwell, Channel 5 Deputy Director of Programmes, ViacomCBS Networks UK says: “I’m excited to be adding to our thriving drama slate with another commission for 2022! LA Productions have a wealth of experience creating cutting edge drama, and I’m looking forward to teaming up with them to bring this gripping story to Channel 5 viewers.”

 Colin McKeown, Executive Producer, LA Productions adds “We strive with all of our dramas to get the best cast, the best crew and the best script. With Compulsion we believe we have achieved that.”

Meanwhile Adam Barth, Director of Co-productions, Acquisitions, and Development, Eccho Rights, London says: “We are delighted to announce  Compulsion  as the first UK drama production on our slate. A thrilling premise with a brilliant cast, we have already seen a high level of interest from international broadcasters.” 

 Nicola Söderlund, Managing Partner at Eccho Rights adds: "Since establishing our London office we’ve made great strides in drama development and co-production, with partners throughout Western Europe.  Compulsion  is the first of a raft of projects in the pipeline, that we are excited to announce in the coming months.”

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I'm a huge fan of television so I really have found the perfect job, as I've been writing about TV shows, films and interviewing major television, film and sports stars for over 25 years. I'm currently TV Content Director on What's On TV, TV Times, TV and Satellite Week magazines plus Whattowatch.com. I previously worked on Woman and Woman's Own in the 1990s. Outside of work I swim every morning, support Charlton Athletic football club and get nostalgic about TV shows Cagney & Lacey, I Claudius, Dallas and Tenko. I'm totally on top of everything good coming up too.

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

Compulsion has surprising power, the feeling of a new intellectualism being poured into the handsomely mounted "liberal" juggernauts Sam Goldwyn once produced.

Somewhat detached in its handling of emotional tensions, this smooth screen treatment of Meyer Levin's book nonetheless generates its own sort of cobra-like hypnosis.

Black-and-white classic about the Leopold-Loeb murder case.

First great 'thrill killer' movie

[Richard] Fleischer turns the screws hard in "Compulsion.

Richard Fleischer's thriller is loosely based on the celebrated 1924 Chicago murder trial of Jewish thrill-killers Leopold and Loeb.

Absorbing version of Leopold-Loeb story with standout Welles performance.

Apesar de mostrar a crueldade dos jovens, o filme leva o espectador a torcer contra a pena de morte graas, principalmente, ao forte monlogo de 10 minutos protagonizado por Orson Welles.

Additional Info

• Genre : Drama, Thriller
• Release Date : May 13, 1959
• Languages : English
• Captions : English, Spanish
• Audio Format : 5.1

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Common sense media reviewers.

Black-and-white classic about the Leopold-Loeb murder case.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

It's not easy to commit a perfect crime. Being

Arthur is a self-absorbed egomaniac with delusions

A young boy is randomly selected to be murdered, a

Arthur encourages Judd to sexually attack a female

"Damn," "ass."

Adults and teenagers drink champagne and smoke cig

Parents need to know that Compulsion is a 1959 black-and-white film based on the 1920 Leopold-Loeb murder case in which two exceptionally intelligent, wealthy, and sociopathic Chicago law students in their teens felt it would be an interesting experiment to plan and execute the perfect murder of an innocent…

Positive Messages

It's not easy to commit a perfect crime. Being smart doesn't mean you can outwit the police. You can't kill evil through more killing, but through charity, love, and understanding. Killing murderers can't bring back their victims.

Positive Role Models

Arthur is a self-absorbed egomaniac with delusions of greatness and power. He treats others dismissively and believes that his role as a superior being entitles him to do harm to others without punishment. He enjoys watching animals killed at a slaughterhouse (not shown). Judd is also extremely bright and detached but less sure of himself socially, which is why he worships Arthur. Wilks famously doesn't accept fees from his poor clients.

Violence & Scariness

A young boy is randomly selected to be murdered, although the act is not shown. Goaded by his friend, a teen starts to drive his car into a pedestrian but dodges the man at the last moment. A teen tries to rape a woman he likes to impress his friend but stops after a rough kiss. The covered body of a murder victim is seen in a morgue. A group dressed like the KKK leaves a burning cross in front of the defense attorney's office.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Arthur encourages Judd to sexually attack a female friend during a wilderness walk they have planned. Judd jumps the girl but stops before a rape occurs.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults and teenagers drink champagne and smoke cigarettes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Compulsion is a 1959 black-and-white film based on the 1920 Leopold-Loeb murder case in which two exceptionally intelligent, wealthy, and sociopathic Chicago law students in their teens felt it would be an interesting experiment to plan and execute the perfect murder of an innocent young boy. The emphasis is on the anti-death penalty defense offered by the renowned attorney Clarence Darrow, memorably fictionalized here by Orson Welles . The murder is not shown but it's described. One of the killers tries to force sex on a classmate but quits after a kiss. Goaded by his friend, a teen starts to drive his car into a pedestrian but dodges the man at the last moment. The covered body of a murder victim is seen in a morgue. A group dressed like the KKK leaves a burning cross in front of the defense attorney's office. The case also provided the source material for the 2002 movie Murder By Numbers . To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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What's the Story?

COMPULSION is based on the real life 1920 Leopold-Loeb murder case, in which famed attorney Clarence Darrow (the fictional Jonathan Wilks played by Orson Welles ) represented the defendants in a canny effort to get them life sentences rather than the death penalty. Artie (Bradford Dillman) displays hollow charm and wit and a deep sense of resentment over neglect by his busy wealthy parents. Judd (Dean Stockwell) is the shy and sensitive genius who hides any human feelings in his effort to emulate the German philosopher Nietszche's "superman." Both seem devoid of love or empathy and casually pick a neighborhood boy they know as their victim. They cruelly kill him and leave him naked in a ditch, certain that they've left no clues and bested a bunch of cops whose intelligence won't be sharp enough to pin the crime on them.

Is It Any Good?

This classic courtroom drama may not appeal to teens but could engage those who give it a chance. A great deal of Compulsion is dedicated to a long, impassioned anti-death penalty homologue delivered by the defense attorney. He argues that evil is not snuffed out by killing but through kindness and love, and that killing the admitted murderers would accomplish nothing but more violence. The film is talkier and slower paced than younger audiences may be used to. Also the smug, superior, privileged ways of 1920s wealth, as portrayed by Dillman and Stockwell, may seem off-putting to the point of unbelievability to modern audiences.

Welles, in putty nose and heavy makeup, plays Wilks with his own brand of understated superiority, always ready with an apt retort. When he invokes the name of God, a defendant calls him a hypocrite, citing the lawyer's famed position as an atheist. Wilks replies that he has given the existence of God a lot of thought but has "come to no conclusions." In real life, Loeb (Artie) was murdered in prison. Leopold managed parole after 33 years.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the way Compulsion shows why being extra smart doesn't make a person extra nice.

The term "sociopath" refers to those with a presumed medical condition that is manifested in extreme antisocial behaviors and thoughts. The movie discusses an insanity defense that hinges on a defendant's ability to tell right from wrong, a theory rejected by the prosecution. Why do you think the defense attorney distinguished between defendants knowing right from wrong and defendants caring about whether an act was right or wrong?

Why do you think it's so inherently disturbing when smart people use their intelligence to do wrong?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 1, 1959
• On DVD or streaming : May 23, 2006
• Cast : Orson Welles , Bradford Dillman , Dean Stockwell , E.G. Marshall
• Director : Richard Fleischer
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 103 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : May 3, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Our editors recommend.

Murder by Numbers

Pet Sematary

Strangers on a Train

Double Indemnity

Courtroom dramas, drama tv for teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Where to Watch

Lio Tipton (Sadie) Marta Gastini (Francesca) Jakob Cedergren (Alex) Valentin Merlet (Thierry) Jan Bijvoet (Minos) Magdalena Grochowska (Silvia) Anita Kravos (Thelma) Nina Senicar (Lily) Leonardo Messerklinger (Young Priest) Franco Barbero (Old Priest)

Craig Goodwill

After a fight with her boyfriend, a successful female erotic novelist on a book tour of Europe joins her ex and his female friend, with whom she falls madly in love, for a party at a castle owned by a dangerous cult.

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Directed by Craig Goodwill

There are no rules

Sadie—a young female novelist—and an enigmatic woman named Francesca, are enticed by an ex-lover to join him at his Italian villa for a weekend celebration being held to honor the release of Sadie's latest book. Once there, Sadie begins to fear his true intentions as she and Francesca become embroiled in a dangerous game of moral and sexual discovery.

Lio Tipton Marta Gastini Jakob Cedergren Valentin Merlet Jan Bijvoet Magdalena Grochowska Anita Kravos Nina Seničar Leonardo Messerklinger Franco Barbero Luca Busnengo Marco Tunesi Denitza Diakovska Cristiano Omedè Mélanie Saint-Arnaud Dubois Pietro Giunti James Khanlarian

Director Director

Craig Goodwill

Producers Producers

Mike Macari Neil Dunn Craig Goodwill Brian Dreyfuss Peta-Megan Dunn

Writer Writer

Brian Clark

Editors Editors

Glenn Berman Michael Doherty Micah Stuart Mike Nichols

Cinematography Cinematography

David Ungaro

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Lawrence Mortorff Simon Fawcett Luca Legnani Julie Kroll Mike Nichols Alfredo Romano Moira Romano Martin Shiel Ladis Zanini

Production Design Production Design

Paola Bizzarri

Composer Composer

Silvio Amato

Sound Sound

Steven Gurman David Gertsman Vito Martinelli Peter Lopata

Costume Design Costume Design

Cristina Audisio

Makeup Makeup

Valentina Visintin

Canada Italy UK

Releases by Date

19 nov 2016, 22 mar 2018, 26 jul 2018, releases by country.

• Physical 18
• Premiere VM18 Torino Film Festival

Netherlands

• Physical 16 DVD

South Korea

• Theatrical 18
• Physical 15
• Theatrical NC-17

92 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by haley ★★½

this movie was made for horny mfs, oh wait that's me

Review by Trudes ★★ 7

Came across the trailer for this after having never heard of it, and it looked fucking bonkers. Even with that preconception, I had no idea how fascinating this was going to be - in both good and bad ways.

It's very clear Sadie has one goal in mind, and it's to be as art house as it fucking can. That quality makes way for some absolutely mesmerising cinematography by Davig Ungaro, like seriously beautiful, ethereal orchestral music and experimental segments that had me tuned in but all in all it comes across like the filmmakers are trying way too hard to achieve that kind of avant garde process that works best when it comes naturally. I've said it before, I'm…

Review by Travis Lytle ★★ 2

A thriller whose excitement is muted by the derivative nature of much of its plot and production, "Compulsion" finds an author entering a mysterious world of sex and intrigue. That world is small and, though the journey through it moves the story, it offers little narratively beyond jolts of eroticism and violence. The look of the film mixes gothic European halls with sheet-strewn bedchambers, and the work chugs along unevenly. Though it may try to shock and titillate, that uneven movement limits the experience.

Review by ndc32002 ★★ 2

not sure who thought filming lio tipton aimlessly wandering around the set of eyes wide shut would make for a compelling story

Review by Jason ★

Imagine, if you will, a remake of Eyes Wide Shut, written by Ed Wood and directed by Uwe Boll.

Review by Jim Dooley ★★★

COMPULSION has the vibe of EYES WIDE SHUT mashed up with a very dark version of EMMANUELLE.     Sadie (Analeigh Tipton), writer and sexual adventuress, is planning to tackle her memoirs while in a safe … but, not entirely satisfying … relationship with Thierry (Valentin Merlet).  Before she can begin, she encounters Alex (Jacob Cedergren), her former lover who was absorbed in sexual power games.  There is a reason why Sadie is no longer with Alex: in one of his games, she went too far and almost lost herself.  Still, she has never forgotten the excitement (despite her nonchalant public demeanor), and the invitation to Alex’s party at a palace … promising a new level of decadence … is…

Review by bulletproofQpid ★★★

"Pain is something to master. Not to wallow in. You will come back to us soon enough. It's inescapable."

I thought this was going to be one thing and it was, but there was a bit more going on than I thought going in. It drops you in right away to a couple having sex, with her wanting to be choked, so I thought, "Okay, it's going to be one of these Eyes Wide Shut/Basic Instinct wannabe films." There's some kind of weird cult thing going on, though. And I'm not sure what all else. It's not totally clear, but then there are a lot of pills ingested that make the lead not really reliable as far as what she's…

Review by Jerome1994 ★★

To sum this movie up quickly, it has some surprisingly nice shots and a few okay scenes. Everything else in this movie is extremely bland, the acting isn’t really good, the writing is dull and really uninspired, the story itself feels like it doesn’t know what it’s doing. Plus the movie is pretty much one of those thrillers where you don’t really need to see the whole thing to know what happens. Overall not a good a movie at all, but not the worst I’ve ever seen.

Review by Fleeting Relevance ★

Kinda like the Lightbringer sword from Game of Thrones: Looks like fire but doesn't put off any heat

Review by Ian Lindsey

Softcore with failed art house aspirations and ritual sex murder. Goofy masks, unnamed drugs, and ridiculous line readings are all great but this isn't as weird as it could or should have been.

Review by Ari_Aster_Ho 🤍 ★★★

Uh oh. Someone saw Eyes Wide Shut too many times in art school. 

But really, I didn’t mind this. When you’re kinda horny and curious at 3am and you’re browsing Showtime for a come up...this really delivered.

Review by Zay ★★

Apparently u have to have perky nipples to join this sex cult

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Sadie—a young female novelist—and an enigmatic woman named Francesca, are enticed by an ex-lover to join him at his Italian villa for a weekend celebration being held to honor the release of Sadie's latest book. Once there, Sadie begins to fear his true intentions as she and Francesca become embroiled in a dangerous game of moral and sexual discovery.

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• Movie - Compulsion - 2016

Compulsion  (2016)  Sadie

• Release Date: 23 February 2018 (Germany) (more)
• Genre: Horror (more)

When the successful erotic novelist Sadie is invited by her ex-boyfriend to join him and his enigmatic friend Francesca at an Italian villa, things take a terrifying turn when she gets involved with a ...Read more dangerous cult.

• Craig Goodwill (Director)
• Brian Clark (Scriptwriter)
• Analeigh Tipton
• Marta Gastini
• Jakob Cedergren
• Valentin Merlet
• Jan Bijvoet
• Magdalena Grochowska

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When the successful erotic novelist Sadie is invited by her ex-boyfriend to join him and his enigmatic friend Francesca at an Italian villa, things take a terrifying turn when she ...Read more gets involved with a dangerous cult.

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• Germany [ 23 February 2018 ]
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• 2,000,000 USD

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Compulsion (2013)

This is one of two WLW films titled Compulsion . Both are thrillers. Though they are different subgenres of thriller. Compulsion (2018) is a sexy thriller. With a strong emphasis on the sexy. Compulsion (2013) isn’t going for sex appeal, it’s going for comedy. While this 2013 version is the better of the two, the mixture of comedy and thriller never quite hits the right note.

Compulsion takes place in two time periods. In the present, Detective Reynolds questions Amy, a food-obsessed homemaker about the disappearance of her neighbour, Saffron. Much of the film is made up of flashbacks. Amy recounts how she came to know Saffron. The title Compulsion fits for Amy. Because Amy is truly obsessed with food. This eventually turns off her boyfriend, Fred. So, Amy begins to fixate on Saffron instead. Saffron is a glamorous actress and writer who spurns Amy’s many attempts to feed her. For a while, this is fine for Amy. Saffron is basically playing hard to get, and Amy likes the challenge. But eventually, Amy demands to know why Saffron won’t eat her food. Saffron reveals she’s bulimic. Still, Amy wants to care for Saffron. And Saffron lets her, encourages it even.

What I respect about Compulsion is that there is proper attention paid to Amy’s obsession with food. This isn’t just a window dressing trait. This woman’s relationship with food is singular and unhealthy. Compulsion seems to really have some fun digging down into the specifics of this character. It’s not played seriously, this isn’t Hannibal . Whether the intent was always to make a comedic thriller or the comedy came after developing this character, I don’t know. But Amy is an above average character for a movie like this. Some actual time, effort and enthusiasm went into developing her. Amy’s obsession with food involves a sexual component. This makes her as a character functionally bisexual. She doesn’t seem to take any notice that her lovers Fred and Saffron are different genders. So long as she can feed them, it’s all good.

Saffron is in contrast to Amy. This character doesn’t lend itself to comedic beats. Saffron’s “compulsion” is bulimia. And the film has a lot less of a grasp of this than they do Amy’s food obsession. Saffron doesn’t get nearly as much development as a character. Potentially because if you do explore bulimia on any level beyond the surface, you’ll find it unfit for comedy. Later, we learn Saffron is also the victim of casting couch-type assault when she was a teen. So, they did give her some depth. But again, this very dark and depressing character is completely at odds with Amy’s harmless and over the top quirk. These two characters are like strawberries and soy sauce. They don’t exactly go together.

The most disappointing thing about Compulsion is the ending. It happens quickly and the real insanity is off screen. After properly developing the unhealthy relationship between Amy and Saffron, Saffron makes a request. The film is ambiguous here, but it’s easy to guess what that request is. And that’s the last of the flashback segments. We then see Amy and the detective in the aftermath. Again, there is some ambiguity here, but if what Amy implies happened actually went down, I wanna see it! This movie actually did go some places, especially with Amy’s character. Frankly, I was hoping the movie would get real gross. I feel cheated that the film ended without a lot of onscreen violence. Not even a discussion between Amy and Saffron about their plan happens onscreen! That too could’ve been nuts enough to satisfy me. In its final moments, Compulsion plays it frustratingly safe.

Apparently, Compulsion is a remake of a South Korean thriller. That makes sense. It also makes sense for that film to play this premise straight. I do not know who the audience is for the Compulsion remake. I can’t see anyone singling this out as a favourite movie of theirs. It never quite comes together. Amy as a character lends herself to weird comedy, and the makers of Compulsio n ran with that. But the rest of the story is definitely a thriller that’s too dark for the comedy Amy adds. I admire the creator’s enthusiasm and gumption. But the story overall never comes together. Plus, I really wanted the film to get real fucking weird and it never did that either.

Overall rating: 5.4/10

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2010s 2013 Carrie-Anne Moss compulsion (2013) country: canada Egidio Coccimiglio genre: comedy genre: thriller Heather Graham language: english mixed review

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Netflix movie of the day: for Hellboy (2019) the most hellish things are the reviews

If you're not a hardcore Hellboy fan, this is not the comic book movie for you

This Hellboy is not the Hellboy you want to see. That one is the 2004 Guillermo Del Toro version, which is currently streaming on Hulu . The version on Netflix is Neil Marshall's 2019 reboot, and its current Rotten Tomatoes score of 17% from the critics suggests that it's more hellish than any of the monsters it contains.

• Watch Hellboy on Netflix

Hellboy (2019): the monster movie that feels like a rice cake

Even the film magazines, which often try to say something nice about movies they don't particularly like, struggled with this one. Empire gave it two out of five stars, saying that while "the new Hellboy promises to be a gritty, witty, give-no-shits take on Mike Mignola’s demon detective", it's "a promise that’s not quite delivered". While David Harbour ( Stranger Things ) does a good job of stepping into Ron Perlman's giant shoes, "Harbour is brilliant. Everyone around him: less so."

It's "a mess of a movie", Bloody Disgusting says. "This doesn't quite feel like the Hellboy we wanted, but it does feel like a throwback to anything goes '90s horror, complete with not so great CG and over the top monsters." And Salon.com says that "watching the Hellboy reboot is like eating a rice cake - you don't feel bad afterward, but at the same time you're not entirely sure you really experienced anything at all".

While the critics are pretty much unanimous that the reboot isn't a patch on the Del Toro movies, that doesn't mean none of them enjoyed it. It's "absolutely deranged nonsense," says CNET , "and if you like that sort of thing, wildly fun". But according to Jennifer Heaton of Alternative Lens : " Hellboy wants to be Deadpool , but in execution it's much closer to Suicide Squad . It's cynical and unfocused, and clearly thrown together from a production amidst chaos."

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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall ( Twitter ) has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man , is on sale now. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR .

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• $200,000,000 (estimated)

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• IMAX 6-Track
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• 70 mm 6-Track

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