Movie

Cul-de-sac

1966 · 112 min

A tense, darkly comic hostage drama that shifts unpredictably between menace and absurdity, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Directed by: Roman Polanski
Genres: Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Starring: Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence, Françoise Dorléac

Tagline: Sometimes there’s nothing left to do but laugh!
Overview: On the run and in search of help, two wounded gangsters find refuge in the secluded castle of a feeble man and his wife; however, under the point of a gun, nothing is what it seems.

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Directed by: Roman Polanski
Genres: Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Starring: Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence, Françoise Dorléac

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: darkstrength 3 of 3
absurdstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: isolation
power
betrayal
madness
identity
Places: single country house
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: single location
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence strong
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	4
Horror	4
Humour	6
Realism	6
Romance	3
Tension	8
Darkness	8
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy

Amazon Video

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Details

Genres: thriller, comedy, crime
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Written by: Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski
Starring: Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence, Françoise Dorléac, Jack MacGowran, Iain Quarrier, Jacqueline Bisset, Renée Houston, William Franklyn
Music: Krzysztof Komeda
Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor
Runtime: 112 min
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English

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Cul-de-sac

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