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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Thirteen Women remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for 1930s aesthetic and don't mind a plot that moves like it’s wading through molasses, you might dig Thirteen Women. If you need your thrillers to actually, you know, thrill, skip this. It’s a curiosity, not a masterpiece.
Myrna Loy is doing a lot of heavy lifting here as the vengeance-seeking Ursula. She’s got this intense, smoky look in her eyes that makes you wonder why the other women didn't just stay away from her in the first place. She’s playing a character who was bullied back in school, and honestly, the way they talk about 'sorority trauma' feels almost jarringly modern for a film from 1932.
The whole astrology gimmick is… well, it’s a choice. Every time she checks the stars before sending a threatening letter, I felt like I was watching a horoscope column come to life in the worst way possible. It’s campy, but in a way that feels unintentional.
There’s a moment toward the middle where you realize the movie has absolutely no idea how to handle the sheer number of characters it introduced. It’s like a party where half the guests are just standing in the corner waiting for their exit cue. It lacks the tight focus you see in better-remembered films of that era, though it has more personality than a dry procedural like The Duchess of Doubt.
Is it a classic? Not by a long shot. But seeing Peg Entwistle on screen is a strange, haunting experience if you know her real-life history. It adds a layer of sadness that the director probably never intended.
Anyway, watch it for the hats, or the weirdly aggressive astrology talk. Just don't go in expecting a tight mystery. It’s a bit messy, like a half-finished letter you never meant to send.
