Crash (1996)
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A film producer becomes entangled in a subculture of people who find sexual arousal in car crashes.
The story
Film producer James Ballard and his wife, Catherine, are in an open marriage. After James survives a head-on collision, he meets Dr. Helen Remington, the other driver involved in the crash. The two begin an affair fueled by their shared experience of the accident. During his recovery, James also encounters Robert Vaughan, a man who leads a group of people who fetishize car crashes. As James becomes more involved with Vaughan's circle, the boundaries between his personal life and the dangerous, ritualistic world of symphorophiliacs begin to blur, complicating his relationship with Catherine.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
James Ballard and his wife Catherine share an open marriage. After James survives a car crash, he begins an affair with the other survivor, Helen, and becomes involved with Robert Vaughan, who leads a group of symphorophiliacs. The group fetishizes car crashes, and James becomes a follower, participating in their rituals. The narrative follows the escalating involvement of the characters in this subculture, including a scene where they witness the body of a member of the group. The film culminates in a series of high-stakes encounters: Vaughan eventually dies in a self-inflicted crash while pursuing James, and James and Catherine ultimately engage in a high-speed chase that ends with them having sex in the wreckage of their cars.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Cronenberg
- Writers
- David Cronenberg · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- James Spader · James; Holly Hunter · Helen; Elias Koteas · Robert Vaughan; Deborah Kara Unger · Catherine; Rosanna Arquette · Gabrielle
- Genres
- erotic thriller
- Themes
- technology and the human body; fetishism; alienation
- Tone and mood
- clinical; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- symphorophilia; car crash; erotic thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- J. G. Ballard's 1973 novel
- Reception
- The film was met with intense controversy and divided critical reactions, praised for its daring premise but criticized for its graphic content. It won several awards and was noted for its unique status at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Awards and nominations
- Cahiers du Cinéma Award · Best Film · 1996 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to receive an NC-17 rating in the U.S. since Showgirls.; The script was intentionally kept short at 77 pages.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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