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Kiss of the Spider Woman

Play trailer Poster for Kiss of the Spider Woman R 1985 1h 59m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In a prison cell somewhere in Latin America, two very different men warily confront each other. Molina (William Hurt) is first seen wrapping his head in a towel, in the shape of a turban, while Valentin (Raul Julia), bearded and classically macho in appearance, watches with a mixture of fascination and revulsion. During the time spent together, the two men come to understand and respect each other.
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Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss of the Spider Woman

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Critics Consensus

Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms that's further elevated by strong work from William Hurt and Raul Julia.

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Critics Reviews

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Jay Scott Globe and Mail Dec 6, 2022
Adaptations of great books can fail with satisfying style: this one goesdown with all hands on deck dancing. Go to Full Review
Paul Attanasio Washington Post Jan 4, 2018
... a flaccid gabfest from beginning to end that manages to both undermine politics and trivialize art. Go to Full Review
Jeremiah Kipp Slant Magazine Aug 14, 2008
4/4
Argentine writer Manuel Puig's book Kiss of the Spider Woman has a theme that endures throughout all its various incarnations: that of human dignity and compassion surviving within a society that denies it. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Feb 2, 2026
3.5/4
Emerging in that most macho of decades, here’s a movie that takes stock of what truly defines a man. Go to Full Review
Frank J. Avella The Contending Jan 19, 2026
B
...groundbreaking in a number of ways and...still provides great drama and some fabulous camp, even if William Hurt’s flamboyant, Oscar-winning turn hasn’t necessarily aged well. I was, however, entranced by Raul Julia--completely overlooked by AMPAS. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Oct 12, 2025
At the time, this movie was considered progressive, but forty years later, it is difficult to watch though impossible to forget how it moved the needle forward. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 4, 2026 The Kiss of the Spider-Woman is a *4* star movie! See more thiago S @Thiagostone Jun 17, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Christian M @chriss17eu May 19, 2026 A good sleep stimulant. A film that should have impacted me far more than it did. I ended up falling asleep watching it, not from physical exhaustion, but because the first hour feels painfully slow, distant, and emotionally uninvolving. Despite liking the concepts behind the characters and the "film within a film" structure, I never truly connected with what the movie was trying to convey. The second half improves things and finally offers moments that hold my attention, but by then I was already detached from the experience. Its political and romantic themes feel more theoretical than emotional, which becomes a major issue for a film so dependent on its discourse. The characters, especially those played by William Hurt and Raúl Juliá, come across more as symbolic ideas than fully human people. The performances are excellent, particularly Hurt’s, but the film’s themes and symbolism never affected me enough emotionally to leave a lasting impact. See more Drew M. @Stonehands211 Apr 3, 2026 The score to this is gorgeous. The set design is so good too for a film that mainly takes place in a single cell. The two main performances though are the real reason to see this film. Extremely transfixing and touching little film that’s also very transgressive in its little ways that definitely won’t sit well if you’re over fixated on PCness. See more Kathy V. @RT64332554 Apr 2, 2026 Excellent movie and acting. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Mar 25, 2026 Downplayed by intentional design in blending reality with flamboyant escapism of ambiguous parallels towards emotional impacts that tenderizes the humbly engaging drama, anchored by Hurt’s mesmerizing conviction complemented by Julia’s conflicting stature. (B) See more Read all reviews
Kiss of the Spider Woman

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a prison cell somewhere in Latin America, two very different men warily confront each other. Molina (William Hurt) is first seen wrapping his head in a towel, in the shape of a turban, while Valentin (Raul Julia), bearded and classically macho in appearance, watches with a mixture of fascination and revulsion. During the time spent together, the two men come to understand and respect each other.
Director
Hector Babenco
Producer
David Weisman
Screenwriter
Leonard Schrader, Manuel Puig
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
HB Filmes, Embrafilme, FilmDallas Pictures, Island Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 29, 1985, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$13.2M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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