SummaryA journalist (Cary Elwes) becomes the unwanted center of attention for a 14-year-old girl (Alicia Silverstone), who proceeds to sabotage his life after he refuses her sexual advances.
Directed By:Alan Shapiro
Written By:Alan Shapiro
The Crush
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
34
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
34
6% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
44% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
50% Negative
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
75
The Crush is the latest in the growing ''from hell'' genre, about all the fun things that happen when a ferocious, precocious 14-year-old girl develops an intense crush on the nice-guy journalist who rents a guest house from the girl's parents. Things start innocent. Get worse. Get horrible. Get ridiculous. You know the formula. Working within that formula, The Crush isn't bad.
50
Unfortunately, Shapiro borrows from too many movies (his climax vaguely recalls "Stranger on a Train") to let his story's potential shine through, and so "The Crush" remains an exercise in diminishing returns. [3 Apr 1993, p.C5]
40
With plot holes so large you could drive a HumVee through them, this debut film from director Shapiro is little more than a lousy hybrid, one part Fatal Attraction to two parts Lolita, only this time Humbert Humbert writes for trendy Pique! magazine and lives in Seattle (but doesn't everybody these days?).
38
Shapiro has constructed a by-the-numbers script that telegraphs every plot twist with the exertion of its setups. We know that a hive of yellow jackets in the orchard, a carousel in the attic and Darian's fondness for horses will somehow make it into the final minutes of the film. It is hard to work up the curiosity to stick it out and find out how. [6 Apr 1993, p.7]
30
This is one more "yuppie-in-peril" movie, just as slick and empty, manipulative and crude, as most of the rest: all those paranoid pictures bent on scaring us with insane roommates, murderous baby-sitters and killer temps. [5 Apr 1993, p.F3]
25
There's something innately distasteful about The Crush. Here's a movie that casts a hopelessly lovestruck -- and mentally disturbed -- teenager as a villain. The camera ogles Silverstone's body every chance it gets, then invites you to hiss at her as she goes about her evil deeds. What's more, the movie -- which is nothing more than the latest take on the increasingly routine female-from-hell genre -- takes itself very seriously, giving the proceedings a realism that only serves to heighten the unsavoriness of the thing. [8 Apr 1993, p.F3]
12
While the material forming the basis for The Crush can't make any claims of originality, there's certainly enough there to craft a decent film around. With a challenging story, a real script, and actors willing to take a few chances, The Crush could have been enjoyable. Essentially, all that would have been necessary for a success is a complete scrapping of the film that was actually produced. Even lovers of formula thrillers will find this picture hard to swallow.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
50% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
50% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Sep 21, 2021
6
Several feelings at once. It's quite sweet at first, let's say. A young girl falls for an older man and wants to be with him no matter what it takes. But after a while it gets pretty psycho and there's a gradation that's... good? It's definitely there and the character changes throughout the film, but in a pretty crazy way. How can I put this. It shocked me. That's definitely a good thing. The movie got my attention. On the one hand, by the end I thought it was getting really psycho and like I don't know if maybe it was a little over the top. It's hard to say. It's hard for me to rate it. I liked the movie quite a bit. I don't know who to recommend it to. It's not a romantic movie after all. After a while, it gets to be quite a massacre. Maybe recommend it to those who like romantic movies, but grittier? I don't know. It's just not a romantic movie, although it's about love. For me, an above average film that I would rather not recommend.
Production Company:
- Morgan Creek Entertainment
Release Date:Apr 2, 1993
Duration:1 h 29 m
Rating:R
Tagline:What Adrian wants, Adrian gets.
Awards
MTV Movie + TV Awards
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Young Artist Awards
• 1 Nomination
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 1 Nomination
