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Jodie Foster marries a creepy John Lithgow in colonial New Zealand and things get WEIRD fast.
TMDB
48
IMDb
47
Rotten Tomatoes
18
Audience Score
19
Google
35
Watch

Mesmerized (1985)

gothic soap operapsychosexual tensionperiod piece chaos

Overview

Drama

An orphan weds an older man in circa-1900 New Zealand, then finds out he's a miser who spies on her.

Flag of NZNZFlag of AUAU
Content warning
new zealand

Standout Aspects

Acting

Foster's volcanic restraint against Lithgow's unhinged miser energy.

Production

Convincing 1900s New Zealand recreated on a shoestring budget.

Best for:Solo: Late-night descent into obscure cinema history.·Streaming: When you've exhausted every other Jodie Foster film.
Heads up:Disturbing: Creepy spying, psychological manipulation, age-gap power imbalance.
Michael Laughlin

Director

Michael Laughlin

ReleasedNov 18, 1985
Runtime1h 37m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Budget$5M
Manchester Productions
Orinward Ltd.

Top Cast

John Lithgow

John Lithgow

Oliver Thompson

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster

Victoria

Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

Wilson

Dan Shor

Dan Shor

George

Harry Andrews

Harry Andrews

Old Thompson

Philip Holder

Philip Holder

Dr. Finch

Beryl Te Wiata

Beryl Te Wiata

Mrs. Simmons

Jonathan Hardy

Jonathan Hardy

Burley

Reg Evans

Reg Evans

Mr. Simmons

Jonathan Elsom

Jonathan Elsom

Public Prosecutor

Ask about Mesmerized

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Director Michael Laughlin also made Strange Invaders and famously disowned this film after studio interference.

Cultural

Shot in New Zealand but barely released there, becoming a genuine 'lost' film until recent streaming rediscovery.

YouTube

Mesmerized - Trailer (1986)

Mesmerized - Trailer (1986)

Gallery

Reviews

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