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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Last Seduction, The
Universal acclaim
Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller
Written by: Steve Barancik
Directed by: John Dahl
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 26, 1994
DVD: March 23, 1998
Running Time: 110 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R
Starring Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, Michael Raysses, and Zack Phifer
Linda Fiorentino stars as the consummate femme fatale in this sexy thriller.
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
Directed with playful wit and energy, with steamy sex scenes played as much for laughs as anything else.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
A movie that is not only ingenious and entertaining, but liberating, because we can sense the story isn't going to be twisted into conformity with some stupid formula.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
Legs flashing and eyes smouldering and brain scintillating, Fiorentino serves up each facet with venomous glee - it's a performance that mixes a main course of Bette Davis with a side order of La Femme Nikita, and it's mesmerizing.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Elvis Mitchell
A devilishly entertaining crime story with a heroine who must be seen to be believed, is as satisfying an ensemble piece as “Red Rock West.” [26 October 1994, p. C13]
Variety David Stratton
Pacing is on the button, and the film moves inexorably, without any flat moments, toward the suspenseful, if morally indefensible, finale.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Unlike the classic noirs, this is grounded in neither a recognizable social reality nor a metaphysical sense of doom--just a lot of sexy attitude, humping, and heavy breathing.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Rita Kempley
A steely neo-noir thriller with a nasty comic veneer.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Alison Macor
A carefully constructed thriller whose clever dialogue keeps pace with its fascinating lead actress.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
Director John Dahl has fun with this material, filming the modern-day noir potboiler with such gusto that it's impossible not to fall under its spell.
Read Full Review >The New Yorker Anthony Lane
The movie has a hard forties snap to it -- lust is a weapon and love is a letdown.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Staff(Not Credited)
A dark, expertly contrived display of paranoid nastiness; it's so gleefully mean that only the most tender-hearted viewer could resist going along for the ride.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
A spirited attempt at modern film noir, and huge parts of it are enjoyable.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Frank O. gave it a10:
John Dahl's best film to date...Fiorentino is awesome as one of film's best femme fatale...plays everyone for a sucker...Must see for film noir fans.
Paul H gave it a9:
Wonderful, Dahl's best moment as a director, it's been all down hill since this one.
James G. gave it a 10:
I Loved this film especially the sexual entertainment.
Pat C. gave it a 9:
The story is of the Fatal Attraction - Basic Instinct genre, relying on males who are both O.D.'d on testosterone and unfathomably stupid, and liberated women to prey upon them. As such it in itself is a mundane exposition of trivial issues and doesn't merit recognition. Case closed. Now about Fiorentino. She does not save this movie - she IS the movie. She displays her resentment of men who feel their lack of ennoblement qualifies them for her attentions (be careful what you wish for), and in the process gilds the lily of some fairly well written dialogue. She skips right past Thelma Louise introspection, femme fatale and alpha-male-wannabe stages to a hell-hath-no-fury demolition derby. She does not take prisoners nor shoot the wounded. She does to men what Sitting Bull did to Custer, and they come back for more. She has the feminist sensitivity of the antichrist and the single-mindedness of Kaiser Sholzay. She is "Species" without the alien culture baggage. And she is awesome in not only saving this picture but in turning it into an unprecedented must-see. Her domination of the project is thorough and complete, even though rumor has it she declined to make the sex scenes more graphic.
Yoon Min C. gave it a 1:
A vapid and hollow exercise that coyly uses noir conventions to subvert allgedly current notions on gender and power. Worst of all is the movie's cheerleading ugliness, its 'feminist' flagwaving. Noir films of the past also had femme fatales but they were mysterious and dark, fascinating ciphers. Fiorentino is merely repulsive and vile, and her deceptive uses of feminity are too nakedly obvious to have any effect on the audience except making them wink and nod and in turn slap her on the back for such daring acts of empowerment. Best noir movies leave us pessmisitc but also thoughtful; it's pulp philosophy at its best. This movie uses noir which is beyond the clutch of ideology for 'progressive' purposes and in the process mangles both noir and feminism.
Ben W. gave it a 9:
Linda Fiorentino was absolutely brilliant as the most likable bitch I've ever had the pleasure to watch, and it's f...ing ridiculous that she wasn't nominated for an Oscar just because the movie ran on cable before theatres. It's an amazing film.
