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IMDbPro

Sisters

  • 19721972
  • RR
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
18K
YOUR RATING
William Finley, Margot Kidder, and Jennifer Salt in Sisters (1972)
A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.
Play trailer1:31
1 Video
97 Photos
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Thriller
A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Brian De Palma(screenplay)
    • Louisa Rose(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Margot Kidder
    • Jennifer Salt
    • Charles Durning
Top credits
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Brian De Palma(screenplay)
    • Louisa Rose(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Margot Kidder
    • Jennifer Salt
    • Charles Durning
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 157User reviews
    • 141Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Blu-ray Trailer
    Trailer 1:31
    Blu-ray Trailer

    Photos97

    William Finley and Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    William Finley and Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    William Finley and Margot Kidder in Sisters (1972)
    Sisters (1972)
    Sisters (1972)
    Sisters (1972)
    Margot Kidder and Lisle Wilson in Sisters (1972)
    William Finley, Jennifer Salt, and Dolph Sweet in Sisters (1972)
    William Finley in Sisters (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Margot Kidder
    Margot Kidder
    • Danielle Bretonas Danielle Breton…
    Jennifer Salt
    Jennifer Salt
    • Grace Collieras Grace Collier
    Charles Durning
    Charles Durning
    • Joseph Larchas Joseph Larch
    William Finley
    William Finley
    • Emil Bretonas Emil Breton
    • (as Bill Finley)
    Lisle Wilson
    Lisle Wilson
    • Phillip Woodeas Phillip Woode
    Barnard Hughes
    Barnard Hughes
    • Arthur McLennenas Arthur McLennen
    Mary Davenport
    • Mrs. Peyson Collieras Mrs. Peyson Collier
    Dolph Sweet
    Dolph Sweet
    • Detective Kellyas Detective Kelly
    Bobby Collins
      Cathy Berry
      • Lobster childas Lobster child
      • (uncredited)
      Olympia Dukakis
      Olympia Dukakis
      • Louise Wilanskias Louise Wilanski
      • (uncredited)
      Art Evans
      Art Evans
      • African Room Waiteras African Room Waiter
      • (uncredited)
      Catherine Gaffigan
      • Arleneas Arlene
      • (uncredited)
      Justine Johnston
      • Elaine D'Annaas Elaine D'Anna
      • (uncredited)
      James Mapes
      James Mapes
      • Guardas Guard
      • (uncredited)
      Laun Maurer
      • Druggistas Druggist
      • (uncredited)
      Bob Melvin
      • Extraas Extra
      • (uncredited)
      Burt Richards
      • Hospital Attendantas Hospital Attendant
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Brian De Palma
      • Writers
        • Brian De Palma(screenplay) (original story)
        • Louisa Rose(screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        To indicate the musical effects he wanted, Brian De Palma put together an edit of his film that was dubbed with music from the films of the composer he most wanted to hire, Bernard Herrmann. While he was showing it to Herrmann, the composer stopped him with, "Young man, I cannot watch your film while I'm listening to Marnie (1964)."
      • Goofs
        After leaving Danielle's apartment, Grace and her mother exit that building and Grace's mother suggests she should change clothes. Grace then reenters the lobby of the same building, to go up to her own apartment. Although it may not be apparent, Grace and Danielle live in the same apartment complex, in the same building. The former "Alexander Hamilton" - now 36 Hamilton Avenue - in Staten Island is an H-shaped building, meaning apartments on its inner courts face each other across two courtyards. Therefore Grace has a view across one of the courtyards directly into Danielle's windows. In addition, the elevators that characters take to and from both apartments are identical.
      • Quotes

        Crazy Woman: Did you know that the germs can come through the wires? I never call and I *never* answer. It's a good way to get sick. Very, very sick... That's how I got so sick! SOMEONE CALLED ME ON THE TELEPHONE!

      • Alternate versions
        For the original 1973 UK cinema release cuts were made by the BBFC to edit the violent stabbing of Phillip Woode. All later releases were fully uncut.
      • Connections
        Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)

      User reviews157

      Review
      Top review
      10/10
      takes cues from Hitchcock and then takes a leap forward; De Palma's best, most bizarre comedy/thriller
      I'd have to say that this film, though sometimes just shamefully manipulative for audience reaction (and I say that sort of as a compliment), is one of De Palma's very best films, both artistically and just in sheer entertainment value. It's got the low-budget quality of an AIP production, but set apart from Roger Corman's films or other films from the company. It's got such a strange, occasionally off-the-hinges, but dedicated wit that it's hard to ignore. In fact, this wit, and a good number of tight, screwed-up close-up angles, special point of view takes, and some of De Palma's trademarks (split-screen, ambiguous villain, women in trouble, etc) are what set it apart from being a complete Hitchcock homage.

      It's no doubt that the director is so in love with the Master's style that, apparently, he even times his edits and shots to go with Bernard Herrmann's music. But what sets Sisters apart from even the more macabre Hitchcock films is that since De Palma is working in a low-budget, under-the-radar, with actors with not much credit to their names, things can be taken further than usual in dealing with the psychological 'whoas' of what goes on. This is possibly one of the most morbid tales to be told in 70's cinema.

      Another important aspect to Sisters and its success is the faith that De Palma has in his actors/friend Margot Kidder and Jennifer Salt. They fit their roles so well one can't imagine big-name actors doing them any better (though Salt, up until the last act, is playing it all appropriately one-note). Kidder's Danielle/Dominique is quite a character too, one with so much complexity her story becomes like some wild ball of string that gets unraveled with little blood-laden marks along the road. Danielle brings home a truly nice guy, Phillip (good character actor, Lisle Wilson), sleeps with him, and then goes ape when she doesn't get her medicine...or is it her sister, Dominique? This first half hour is like some kind of satirical, sincere kind of film-making that could make just a great, open-ended short film. But with the addition of De Palma's split screen (possibly the best he's used it in any of his films), the story spins off into Grace, a reporter who gets on the case on her own to find out what happened to the body. This leads her into a very dark place, one that leads her into something so bizarre I dare not mention here.

      But those last fifteen-twenty minutes or so are where things become a kind of make-or-break test in a sense for the audience; how far can one push this overtly surreal quagmire of a scene where the 'doctor' is present in front of our two main actresses? The 'doctor' himself is played by William Finley, and it would be arguable that his is such a toweringly creepy, scary performance of a villain that it becomes almost too uncanny. In this climax one has to wonder how far it will go, and then it becomes clear that it's almost the point of the story to go over the edge like this. We're dealt with an already peculiar premise of two Siamese twins, one of whom may or may not be alive, and how they're let loose onto the world. Early on it seems like this might just be an off-beat, funny noir kind of story, but by the end it becomes a bit more.

      It takes originality to pull off some of the scenes here, or at least faith in what's written will work on screen. In a way this is the best place to see the bridge of De Palma's early black comedies (Hi Mom, Greetings; the neat opening TV show scene brings this to mind) and the hit or miss thrillers that have dominated his long career. Basically, for me, this was a hit, and that it was manipulative, sordid, and left the viewer still wanting some answers, makes it as successful a wink (if not homage) to Hitchcok that the filmmaker has done.
      helpful•53
      16
      • Quinoa1984
      • Mar 11, 2006

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • March 26, 1973 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Official site
        • Official site
      • Languages
        • English
        • French
      • Also known as
        • Die Schwestern des Bösen
      • Filming locations
        • 1757 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, New York, USA
      • Production company
        • Pressman-Williams Enterprises
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $500,000 (estimated)
      • Gross worldwide
        • $318,348
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 33 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.85 : 1

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