Watch What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
- Approved
- 1960
- 2 hr 14 min
-
8.0 (63,143)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a psychological horror film from 1962 that is hailed as a classic in the genre. It stars Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson and Joan Crawford as her sister Blanche, both of whom were big stars in Hollywood in their time. The movie takes place in the 1930s and tells the story of two sisters who were famous child actors. Baby Jane was the star of the family and had a successful career until she grew up and her popularity waned. Meanwhile, Blanche became a big movie star and overshadowed her sister's fading career. However, one night, Blanche gets into a debilitating car accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. This tragedy puts an end to her acting career, and she becomes dependent on her physically abusive sister, Baby Jane.
Years later, we see the two sisters living together in a decaying mansion. Baby Jane has become an alcoholic and has grown bitter and resentful towards her sister, whom she sees as the cause of her downfall. Blanche is trapped in her bedroom, confined to a wheelchair and unable to leave the house. She becomes a prisoner to her sister's sadistic tendencies and emotional abuse.
The tension between the two sisters builds as the movie progresses, with Baby Jane becoming increasingly unhinged and Blanche becoming more fearful for her life. Victor Buono plays Edwin Flagg, a struggling musician whom Baby Jane hires to play piano for her comeback performance. Flagg becomes embroiled in the sisters' twisted relationship, with Baby Jane trying to use him to become a star again and Blanche trying to get his help to escape her sister's clutches.
What follows is a series of frightening and disturbing events as Baby Jane's mental state deteriorates, and she becomes more delusional and violent. The climax of the movie is a heart-stopping sequence in which Baby Jane performs for an empty theater, while Blanche lies trapped and terrified in her room.
What makes What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? such a classic is its incredible performances from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Davis is terrifying as Baby Jane, embodying the character's desperation, bitterness, and insanity with remarkable conviction. Crawford, on the other hand, gives a masterful performance as a woman trapped in a horrifying situation, conveying Blanche's fear and desperation with just her eyes and facial expressions.
The movie is also notable for its cinematography and set design, with the decaying mansion becoming a character in its own right as it serves as the backdrop for the sisters' twisted relationship. The use of shadows and light help to create a haunting atmosphere, and the music score, consisting mostly of deteriorated vaudeville tunes, adds to the unsettling tone of the movie.
In conclusion, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a must-see horror classic that has stood the test of time. With its unforgettable performances, disturbing plot, and eerie atmosphere, it remains a benchmark for psychological horror filmmaking.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1960 thriller with a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.0 and a MetaScore of 75.