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Dangerous Liaisons

1988 · Movie · R · 119 min · ★ 7.2 · 83% critics

DramaRomance

In 18th-century France, two wealthy aristocrats turn seduction into a high-stakes game, using secrets, letters, and social power to ruin reputations. What begins as a calculated wager spirals into tangled rivalries and unintended consequences, as desire and pride collide in a world built on appearances.

Based on Les Liaisons dangereuses

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Details
Years
1988
Release date
1988-12-21
Language
English
Rated
R
Runtime
119 min
Critic score
83/100
TMDB rating
7.2/10 (1,272 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a stylish, biting period drama about manipulation, desire, and social games, with plenty of twists and sharp exchanges; Not for you if you dislike morally bleak stories or dense dialogue like in The Age of Innocence.

Pros: wickedly entertaining intrigue; sharp, witty dialogue; lavish costumes and settings | Cons: cruel, unsettling themes; talky, slow stretches; one weak performance

Themes

  • plan
  • lovesickness
  • paris, france
  • based on novel or book
  • cheating
  • cynic
  • sexuality
  • boredom
  • praise
  • lover
  • ladykiller
  • fiancé
  • +10 more

Awards & recognition

  • BAFTA AwardBest Screenplay · 1990
  • BAFTA AwardBest Actress in a Supporting Role · 1990
  • Academy AwardBest Production Design · 1989
  • Academy AwardBest Costume Design · 1989
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1989
Show all 15 awards →
  • Writers Guild of America AwardBest Adapted Screenplay · 1989
  • César AwardBest Foreign Film
  • National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actress · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Costume Design · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Original Score · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Production Design · 1989 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actress · 1989 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Stephen Frears