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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Her Mad Night remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like 1930s black-and-white dramas that feel like they were pulled straight from a library basement, you might find something to love here. If you need pacing that moves faster than a slow walk, skip it. It is a movie for people who want to see a very specific kind of old-fashioned conflict play out.
The story is heavy. A mother, a dead man, and a daughter caught in the middle. It’s the kind of premise that could have been a total mess, but there is a strange sort of focus to it.
The legal scenes really drag. You can tell they were trying to build tension, but it mostly just feels like people talking in a stuffy room for way too long. The judge’s gavel sounds like it's made of plastic. I mean, really.
There is a moment where the lead actress just stares at the wall while the lawyer drones on, and honestly? Same. I felt that exhaustion right in my own bones. It’s an oddly quiet movie, even when everyone is shouting.
It’s not quite on the level of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle in terms of sheer tension, but it tries. There is a weird, dusty quality to the sets. Everything looks like it hasn't been dusted since the talkies started.
Sometimes the dialogue is so stiff it makes you laugh. People don't talk like that. Not even in the thirties, probably. But you get used to it after a while. It’s like listening to a record with a few scratches.
It isn't a film you'll think about for weeks. It’s more of a mood piece for a rainy afternoon. Just don't go in expecting a thriller. It’s a drama that forgot to be thrilling, but it has heart. Maybe a bit too much heart for its own good.
Also, is it just me, or does the lead actor look like he’s constantly holding his breath? Very strange choice for a courtroom performance.