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Dance with a Stranger

Dance with a Stranger

Crime · Drama · 1985

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.

Movie details

Dance with a Stranger

“It wasn't simply love. It was a case of cold-blooded passion.”

1985 Crime · Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

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.

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 Dance with a Stranger?

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.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mike Newell

Written by

Shelagh Delaney

Miranda Richardson

Miranda Richardson

Ruth Ellis

Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett

David Blakeley

Ian Holm

Ian Holm

Desmond Cussen

M

Matthew Carroll

Andy

Tom Chadbon

Tom Chadbon

Anthony Findlater

Jane Bertish

Jane Bertish

Carole Findlater

David Troughton

David Troughton

Cliff Davis

Court is in session

Put Dance with a Stranger on trial.

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

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.