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Poster for Dance with a Stranger

Dance with a Stranger

1985 · 96 min

A slow, suffocating descent into obsession and class divide, ending in inevitable tragedy that lingers like a cold ache.

Directed by
Mike Newell
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, Ian Holm
Tagline
It wasn't simply love. It was a case of cold-blooded passion.
Overview
Ruth Ellis lives with her ten-year old son Andy next to a night club. One night she meets David Blakely, and they start a love affair. However, for David with his upper-class background, it is impossible to uphold the relationship. He breaks up with her, something which makes Ellis, obsessed by him, very upset.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Mike Newell
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, Ian Holm
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • bleakstrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 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
  • obsession
  • class
  • love
  • betrayal
  • justice
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour2
Realism9
Romance6
Tension7
Darkness8
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Mike Newell
Written by
Shelagh Delaney
Starring
Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, Ian Holm, Matthew Carroll, Tom Chadbon, Jane Bertish, David Troughton, Paul Mooney
Music
Richard Hartley
Cinematography
Peter Hannan
Runtime
96 min
Country
United Kingdom
Languages
English

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