Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- grotesque
- irreverent
- frantic
- cult movie night
- extreme cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an engaging but unevenly paced, highly transgressive romance-thriller elevated by Rosie Perez and Javier Bardem's performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Perdita and Romeo's relationship drives the kidnapping, ritual violence, and mission across the borderlands.
Romeo's sacrificial religion and the kidnapping plot combine occult ritual, shocking imagery, and darkly comic excess.
The abductors transport Duane and Estelle toward Las Vegas while criminal obligations and ritual plans escalate.
The story draws on the Mexican border, Texas, and cross-border criminal networks as its central landscape.
Films like Dance with the Devil, and why
Wild at Heart
Shares transgressive crime, black comedy, volatile romance, and grotesque horror elements.
The Devil's Rejects
Comparable for satanic imagery, outrageous violence, drug-fueled criminality, and delirious dark humor.
Natural Born Killers
Shares a stylized criminal road journey, sexual menace, abrasive humor, and heightened violence.
Santa Sangre
Comparable for surreal crime plotting, grotesque comedy, and morally unrestrained lovers on the run.
Movie Details
- Director
- Álex de la Iglesia
- Release Date
- 1997-10-31
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (251)
Cast
- Rosie Perez
- Javier Bardem
- Harley Cross
- Aimee Graham
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins
- Don Stroud
- Demián Bichir
- Santiago Segura
- Carlos Bardem
- Alex Cox
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndiePix Unlimited Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dance with the Devil about?
- A ferocious borderland crime odyssey follows two lovers whose kidnapping mission spirals into satanic ritual, black comedy, and catastrophic violence.
- What is Dance with the Devil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dance with the Devil as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dance with the Devil violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dance with the Devil as graphic.
- What did critics think of Dance with the Devil?
- Critics broadly regard it as an engaging but unevenly paced, highly transgressive romance-thriller elevated by Rosie Perez and Javier Bardem's performances.
- Which films are like Dance with the Devil?
- Films with a similar feel include Wild at Heart, The Devil's Rejects, Natural Born Killers, and Santa Sangre.
- How long is Dance with the Devil?
- Dance with the Devil runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dance with the Devil?
- In United States, Dance with the Devil streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndiePix Unlimited Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, ARROW.
