Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sleazy
- tense
- lurid
- late night horror viewing
- giallo double feature
What critics said
Modern critics and giallo aficionados regard the film as a classic of the genre, while contemporaneous critics broadly faulted its lurid sexual violence, obvious plotting, and uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julie suspects Jean while blackmail, murder, and the police investigation continually shift the apparent identity of the killer.
Julie’s affair, traumatic history with Jean, blackmail, and the killer’s attacks connect desire directly to threat.
The film combines Vienna settings, a razor-wielding serial killer, lurid suspense, sexual intrigue, and elaborate mystery plotting.
Julie returns to Vienna, encounters her sadistic former boyfriend Jean, and finds her past trauma entangled with the murders and blackmail.
Films like The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh, and why
Deep Red
shared giallo mystery structure, stylized violence, sexual menace, and an endangered woman pursued by hidden killers
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
shared italian giallo atmosphere, serial-killer investigation, lurid sexuality, and twist-driven suspense
Tenebrae
shared baroque giallo plotting, erotic danger, razor-edged murders, and unstable suspicion
The Case of the Scorpion's Tail
shared psychological thriller tension, sadomasochistic menace, and a woman trapped in a dangerous romantic mystery
Movie Details
- Director
- Sergio Martino
- Release Date
- 1971-01-15
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (177)
Cast
- Edwige Fenech
- George Hilton
- Ivan Rassimov
- Conchita Airoldi
- Manuel Gil
- Carlo Alighiero
- Alberto de Mendoza
- Bruno Corazzari
- Luis de Tejada
- Marella Corbi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW, Chilling, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh about?
- A glamorous Vienna vacation turns into a razor-edged giallo maze of erotic blackmail, traumatic desire, and serial murder.
- What is The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh?
- Modern critics and giallo aficionados regard the film as a classic of the genre, while contemporaneous critics broadly faulted its lurid sexual violence, obvious plotting, and uneven execution.
- Which films are like The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh?
- Films with a similar feel include Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Tenebrae, and The Case of the Scorpion's Tail.
- How long is The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh?
- The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh?
- In United States, The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW, Chilling, ARROW.
