She-Devil
A betrayed suburban wife transforms domestic humiliation into an audacious campaign of revenge and self-reinvention.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- sardonic
- irreverent
- gleeful
- girls night
- retro comedy night
What critics said
Critics found the film uneven but broadly praised its dark comic premise and the standout performances of Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ruth responds to Bob's affair and abandonment by targeting both Bob and Mary through increasingly audacious acts of revenge.
Ruth stops trying to remain a docile wife and creates a successful life of her own after Bob leaves.
Ruth breaks the expected big-screen heroine mold by answering betrayal with aggressive, off-center retaliation.
Critics specifically praised Susan Seidelman's off-center humor, built from the characters' eccentric logic rather than conventional punch lines.
Films like She-Devil, and why
The War of the Roses
dark domestic revenge comedy centered on marital betrayal and gendered power struggles
First Wives Club
female-led comedy about divorce, self-reinvention, and reclaiming personal agency
9 to 5
stylized feminist comedy using relationship conflict and social satire for emotional revenge
Movie Details
- Director
- Susan Seidelman
- Release Date
- 1989-12-08
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (442)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Roseanne Barr
- Ed Begley Jr.
- Linda Hunt
- Sylvia Miles
- Elisebeth Peters
- Robin Leach
- Sally Jessy Raphael
- Bryan Larkin
- A Martinez
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is She-Devil about?
- A betrayed suburban wife transforms domestic humiliation into an audacious campaign of revenge and self-reinvention.
- What is She-Devil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of She-Devil as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is She-Devil violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in She-Devil as mild.
- What did critics think of She-Devil?
- Critics found the film uneven but broadly praised its dark comic premise and the standout performances of Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr.
- Which films are like She-Devil?
- Films with a similar feel include The War of the Roses, First Wives Club, and 9 to 5.
- How long is She-Devil?
- She-Devil runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch She-Devil?
- In United States, She-Devil is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
