Don’t Look Now (1973)
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A grieving couple travels to Venice, where they encounter a psychic who claims their deceased daughter is trying to contact them.
The story
Following the accidental death of their daughter, a married couple, Laura and John, travel to Venice where John has accepted a commission to restore an ancient church. While there, they encounter two sisters, one of whom is a clairvoyant. The woman informs them that their daughter is attempting to contact them and warns of impending danger. While John initially dismisses these claims, he begins to experience mysterious sightings of a figure in a red coat. The film explores the psychological impact of grief on their relationship as they navigate the labyrinthine streets of Venice, haunted by the past and the unsettling visions of the supernatural.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After their daughter Christine drowns in an accident at their English home, John and Laura travel to Venice for a church restoration project. At a restaurant, Laura meets a blind psychic sister, Heather, who claims to see their daughter. Following a period of intense intimacy, the couple becomes separated in the streets, where John sees a figure in a red coat. During a séance, Heather warns that John is in danger. After a series of unsettling events, including a near-fatal accident at the church and a mysterious phone call about their son, the couple becomes increasingly frantic. John eventually believes Laura has disappeared and reports her missing to the police. He later discovers she is safe in England. In a final, desperate moment, John pursues a figure in a red coat through a palazzo. He discovers the figure is not a child but a woman with a blade. He is murdered, realizing too late that his visions were premonitions of his own death.
- First release year
- 1973
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nicolas Roeg
- Writers
- Allan Scott · screenplay; Chris Bryant · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Julie Christie · Laura; Donald Sutherland · John
- Genres
- thriller; horror; psychological; supernatural
- Themes
- grief; premonition; identity; communication
- Tone and mood
- atmospheric; menacing; unsettling
- Setting
- Venice, Italy and an English country home.
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; psychological; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier
- Content notes
- sex scene
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics and is now considered a classic and influential work in horror and British film.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Cinematography · British Academy Film Awards · win
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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