Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- uneasy
- sardonic
- late night thriller viewing
- 1990s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics largely found the near-horror thriller underpowered, citing weak suspense and insufficiently surprising twists despite occasional praise for its originality and indie attitude.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The central question repeatedly turns on who is deceiving whom after the staged suicide.
Roommate tensions, grades, and suicide-related academic incentives drive the murder scheme on a college campus.
Tim and Chris use a roommate's supposed suicide to pursue better grades, triggering further suspicion and tragedy.
The film pairs an easy-going campus milieu with psychopathy, murder, and escalating distrust.
Films like The Curve, and why
Dead Man's Curve
campus-set psychological suspense, shifting loyalties, and morally compromised young protagonists
The Skulls
college-age characters drawn into manipulative murder schemes and paranoid thriller tension
Wild Things
youthful ensemble, psychological manipulation, and a dark mystery-thriller atmosphere
The Last Seduction
indie thriller sensibility, unreliable motives, and escalating interpersonal suspicion
Movie Details
- Director
- Dan Rosen
- Release Date
- 1998-01-24
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (87)
Cast
- Matthew Lillard
- Michael Vartan
- Randall Batinkoff
- Keri Russell
- Tamara Marie Watson
- Anthony Griffith
- Bo Dietl
- Kevin Ruf
- Henry Strozier
- Ben Livingston
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Curve about?
- College roommates turn academic pressure into a deadly contest of staged suicide, manipulation, and uncertain loyalties.
- What is The Curve like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Curve as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Curve violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Curve as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Curve?
- Critics largely found the near-horror thriller underpowered, citing weak suspense and insufficiently surprising twists despite occasional praise for its originality and indie attitude.
- Which films are like The Curve?
- Films with a similar feel include Dead Man's Curve, The Skulls, Wild Things, and The Last Seduction.
- How long is The Curve?
- The Curve runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Curve?
- In United States, The Curve is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
