Back to trending
A Woman Under the Influence

A Woman Under the Influence

Drama · Romance · 1974

Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.

Movie details

A Woman Under the Influence

“A woman of today, her world, her passions.”

1974 Drama · Romance 2h 35m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.8 / 10

Community rating

Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over A Woman Under the Influence?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Mammal

Mammal

Drama · 2016

After Margaret, a divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the escalation of her ex-husband's grieving rage.

Faces

Faces

Drama · 1968

Middle-aged suburban husband Richard abruptly tells his wife, Maria, that he wants a divorce. As Richard takes up with a younger woman, Maria enjoys a night on the town with her friends and meets a younger man. As the couple and those around them confront a seemingly futile search for what they've lost -- love, excitement, passion -- this classic American independent film explores themes of aging and alienation.

Maps to the Stars

Maps to the Stars

Drama · 2014

Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family chase celebrity, one another, and the relentless ghosts of their pasts. Their fragile ecosystem is disrupted by the arrival of Agatha, the scarred and estranged pyromaniac daughter.

Wakefield

Wakefield

Drama · 2017

A man's nervous breakdown causes him to leave his wife and live in his attic for several months.

Snow Angels

Snow Angels

Drama · 2007

Waitress Annie has separated from her suicidal alcoholic husband, Glenn. Glenn has become an evangelical Christian, but his erratic attempts at getting back into Annie's life have alarmed her. High school student Arthur works at Annie's restaurant, growing closer to a new kid in town, Lila, after class. When Glenn and Annie's daughter goes missing, the whole town searches for her, as he increasingly spirals out of control.

Poetic Justice

Poetic Justice

Drama · 1993

Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha, and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago. Along for the ride is Chicago's co-worker, Lucky, to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?

On the Edge

On the Edge

Drama · 2001

A suicidal young man is committed to a Dublin psychiatric hospital where he meets new friends who greatly influence his life.

A Love Song

A Love Song

Drama · 2022

Two childhood sweethearts, now both widowed, share a night by a lake in the mountains.

Shoot the Moon

Shoot the Moon

Drama · 1982

After fifteen years of marriage, an affluent couple divorce and take up with new partners.

The Free World

The Free World

Romance · 2016

Following his release from a brutal stretch in prison for crimes he didn't commit, Mo is struggling to adapt to life on the outside. When his world collides with Doris, a mysterious woman with a violent past, he decides to risk his newfound freedom to keep her in his life.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Cassavetes

Written by

John Cassavetes

Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands

Mabel Longhetti

Peter Falk

Peter Falk

Nick Longhetti

Fred Draper

Fred Draper

George Mortensen

Lady Rowlands

Lady Rowlands

Martha Mortensen

Katherine Cassavetes

Katherine Cassavetes

Margaret Longhetti

Matthew Labyorteaux

Matthew Labyorteaux

Angelo Longhetti

M

Matthew Cassel

Tony Longhetti

Court is in session

Put A Woman Under the Influence on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.