Black Swan

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2:08

Black Swan

R

2010

1h 48m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

320 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.

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Critics Consensus

Bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic, Black Swan glides on Darren Aronofsky's bold direction -- and a bravura performance from Natalie Portman.

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Julie and Brandy

Autostraddle

08/31/2021

What were they trying to say? What happened?... You're all pretending you know what it means.

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Phoenix Danger

Autostraddle

06/08/2021

The impeccable casting adds an elevated element of reality to a film that already hits so close to home.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/30/2018

This is part horror, part thriller, part Freudian nightmare and not a pretty film, as I said, nor an easy watch, but it's so unexpected and out there and passionate it keeps you with it and involved all the way.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Dec 6

4/4

The best picture of 2010, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a messy masterpiece.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11

4/5

Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky are collaborating at the top of their game for this terrifying, gorgeous, and bewildering descent into madness.

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Gayle Sequeira

BFI

Aug 27

Doubles, mirror images and unnerving doppelgängers dot this tale of a repressed, rigid ballerina (Natalie Portman), whose artistic director pushes her to lose herself in her art during a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Instead, she loses her head.

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L E O

Sep 3

I was able to watch the 15th Anniversary IMAX edition of this film, but my critique is about the movie itself. Great film, loved immersing myself and disassociating from the outside world during this movie. It is truly worth watching in theaters if you can find it again, but the plot is great, it's a very accurate depiction of the dance world (I have some experience) and it was a pleasure to see it depicted on the big screen. The cinematography is amazing, the acting superb!

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Ryan

Aug 22

Thanks to its haunting score and Natalie Portman's Oscar-winning performance, Black Swan is a near perfect blend of horror and psychological tension.

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V

Aug 22

The Greatest lock in of all time

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Dominic B

@RT83360345 Apr 15

Disturbing and beautiful. Certainly not the most pleasurable watch, but undeniably impressive. Great acting, costumes and music.

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in V

@invoice754 Apr 12

I was quite sceptical in the beginning, I am not a fan of dance related movies but this one turned out to be one of the best movies that I have ever watched. Must see

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chen X

@Sanguinrik Mar 27

Black Swan is a brutal elegy for traumatized young artists and a scathing critique of conservative ideology and intergenerational trauma. Nina’s abusive single mother,filling the absent father’s void with patriarchal control,traps her in perpetual childhood dependence via surveillance,guilt-tripping and authoritarian demands.This erodes her self-worth,tying her validation to approval from external patriarchal figures,which leads to her tragic end. Her struggle is no binary choice between the chaste White Swan and uninhibited Black Swan,but a tortured fusion of conflicting ideologies: lifelong repression of her innate desires,and the freedom she craves but can never claim.Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance masterfully captures this tension. Moreover,Nina's violent rebellion and "independence" are fleeting;her pain and fractured self remain,bleeding through the final dance.The film’s tragic power forces us to face the unseen trauma beneath the facade of perfect art.

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Black Swan: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Producer: Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
Screenwriter: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Cross Creek Pictures, Dune, Protozoa Pictures, Phoenix Pictures
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Violent Images|Some Drug Use|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $107.0M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)