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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #542 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View A Woman Under the Influence film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Mabel, a mother and wife, is on the brink of insanity as her blue-collar husband Nick attempts to understand her plight.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Long Island housewife Mabel Longhetti's intense behavior unsettles husband Nick, who loves her but responds through control, embarrassment, and a crowded family network. A dinner for Nick's work crew and later domestic gatherings expose conflicting standards of normality.

Why it belongs

John Cassavetes lets Rowlands and Falk make marriage frighteningly intimate, with improvised-feeling behavior revealing love tangled in surveillance and control.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Crowded tables, unfinished gestures, children, spaghetti, work crews, sudden dancing, and handheld close proximity make every social space unstable; Gena Rowlands's Mabel and Peter Falk's Nick continually misread care as management.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Golden Globes1 win1975 · official film record ↗
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama1975 · Gena Rowlandsofficial film record ↗

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound114IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.4
Engagement8.5
Ease5.5

English · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Romantic & Reflective