The Stepford Wives

Horror movie of the Year. (30.05.2013)

As I stated in the review of the remake, I haven't read the book yet, which is a shame because it is undoubtedly an interesting work that is perfect for a film adaptation. I may seem like a weirdo, but contrary to the opinion of the majority of film fans, I actually liked the remake more. The modern version can rightfully be criticized for many shortcomings, but the overall concept seems more substantial and functional to me. The subject matter itself calls for satire and comedy. The original version tried to balance between sci-fi, horror, and thriller, but the film has clearly aged. It doesn't work as sci-fi or horror at all and although it functions as a thriller, it's only from the scene of the protagonist's visit to the psychiatrist to the finale, which is about 20 minutes out of the total runtime, and I think that's not enough for a rating higher than two stars. It's too static and I saw unused potential everywhere. It would have been perhaps better to use the original source as a kind of allegory and leave the viewer uncertain until the last shot about what is actually happening in that town and whether Joanna is just succumbing to a certain paranoia. The film has aged partly because the problem of gender conflict and the effort for emancipation has moved on since the 70s, although it hasn't disappeared and has just taken on a different form. Nowadays, we have the phenomenon of successful self-centered egotists who can manage quite well without men, as evidenced by many American TV series and films. In many industries and environments, men are clearly on the defensive these days. Overall impression: 45%. (25.06.2009)

A film that initially seems like a fairly nice story about a family moving, gradually, through individual situations, transforms into something really terrifying, culminating in its finale, which is beautifully pessimistic. This is a great example of how you can make a horror film without having any overtly scary moments. (14.10.2015)