Die Frauen von Stepford

Horror movie of the Year. (30.05.2013)

Es ist eine Schande, dass das schöne finale Ergebnis dem Zuschauer vor allem aufgrund des kastrierten Remakes verwehrt bleibt, im Gegensatz dazu hat das Original einen angenehm düsteren Ton und eine zunehmende Spannung, die sich aus Johannas schrittweiser Enthüllung des perfekten Stepford ergibt. Der größte Teil des Films erinnert an den berühmteren Film Rosemaries Baby, auch hier verfällt die Heldin ihrer eigenen Unsicherheit und Wahnsinn, nur ist es nicht so psycho. Die letzten Minuten jedoch sind reiner Horror, und da wir uns in den 70ern befinden, fehlt auch ein glückliches Ende. P.S. Wenn meine Partnerin meinen eigenen Tennisplatz zerstören würde, würde ich sie sofort umbringen. (30.03.2016)

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)

The film, which initially seems like a fairly nice story about a family moving, gradually, through individual situations, transforms into a truly terrifying one, and ultimately reaches its beautifully pessimistic finale. This is a beautiful example of how it is possible to create a horror film without relying on blatantly scary moments. (14.10.2015)