It might be a generalization to say that controversy creates cash as the old saying goes, buzz of the positive and negative variety ended up proving hugely beneficial to Adrian Lyne’s classic psychological thriller Fatal Attraction.
A critical and commercial juggernaut, the twisted tale of obsession hauled in a mammoth $320 million at the box office on a $14 million and punctured the zeitgeist in the process, before going on to land six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.
However, not everyone was thrilled about the highest-grossing release of 1987, with many finding it to be deeply offensive to women, as well as those with personality disorders, while scholars and experts were more than happy to dissect Fatal Attraction from an analytic perspective, even though it was always designed as mass-market entertainment.
35 years later, and Glenn Close’s pursuit of Michael Douglas has managed to entice a new generation of fans on streaming. As per FlixPatrol, Fatal Attraction has rebounded to find itself as one of the top-viewed titles on iTunes, with at-home audiences enraptured by watching one man’s extramarital affair take a potentially deadly turn.
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, then you’ll no doubt be subconsciously aware of many plot beats, character moments, and lines of dialogue, most notably the term “bunny boiler”. It’s become part of the everyday lexicon, and that extends to generations who wouldn’t be able to pick Fatal Attraction out of a lineup were it presented to them.