A Fish Called Wanda
1988 · 109 min · Director: John Cleese, Charles Crichton
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
In London, Georges Thomason (Tom Georgeson), his seductive American girlfriend Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis), and their associate Ken Pile (Sir Michael Palin) are planning their latest crime: a diamond heist that should net them 13 million pounds sterling. They plan to leave the country with the goods after the heist. On Wanda's recommendation, they enlist the help of her weapons-expert brother Otto West (Kevin Kline) for this heist. Actually, Otto isn't Wanda's brother, but her latest lover, a dimwit who gets off on his own body odor and believes he's an intellectual because he reads Nietzsche and does not tolerate being called stupid by anyone. Wanda has one weakness in men which is how Otto was able to get her to be his lover: speaking Italian in seduction. Wanda and Otto plan to double-cross Georges by having him arrested for the heist while they abscond with the jewels. Wanda further plans to triple-cross Otto by eliminating him from the picture after she has the jewels. They are able to get Georges arrested with him not knowing who tipped the off the police, and implicated by elderly eyewitness Eileen Coady (Patricia Hayes). With Georges in jail, Wanda and Otto discover that he has protected his investment by moving the jewels from their agreed location to a hidden one, telling nobody where they are but offering Ken a slight hint. Georges gives Ken, an animal lover with an extreme stutter, the task of killing Mrs. Coady before she is able to testify against him, as she is the Crown's primary witness. Meanwhile, Wanda has her own plan to reach her end goal: seduce George's defense lawyer Archie Leach (John Cleese) and find out Georges' secrets about the heist, including the location of the jewels. Archie may be easy prey for Wanda's seduction, as his wife Wendy (Maria Aitken) is a self-absorbed woman who pays him little attention. Otto might throw a wrench into Wanda's plans if he finds out what she's doing.
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Emotional fingerprint
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 40%, Surprise 20%, Joy 15%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Humor40%
- Surprise20%
- Joy15%
- Excitement15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Humor, Surprise, Joy. Genres: Comedy, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Surprise and Joy. Its IMDb rating of 7.5/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 73/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Humor
- Tension
- Curiosity
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Humor | Tension | Curiosity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Humor | 45 % | 42 % | 22 % | 28 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Humor | 53 % | 45 % | 35 % | 36 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Humor | 55 % | 45 % | 39 % | 45 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Curiosity | 53 % | 44 % | 34 % | 43 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 25′ | Humor | 55 % | 46 % | 34 % | 40 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 30′ | Curiosity | 56 % | 48 % | 34 % | 41 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 35′ | Humor | 56 % | 48 % | 36 % | 35 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 41′ | Tension | 60 % | 49 % | 44 % | 31 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 46′ | Humor | 64 % | 56 % | 44 % | 30 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 52′ | Humor | 63 % | 59 % | 35 % | 26 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Humor | 61 % | 55 % | 34 % | 24 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Humor | 65 % | 59 % | 44 % | 23 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Humor | 64 % | 59 % | 45 % | 24 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Humor | 59 % | 51 % | 40 % | 28 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Humor | 63 % | 45 % | 50 % | 34 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Tension | 69 % | 43 % | 63 % | 40 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 90′ | Tension | 68 % | 45 % | 61 % | 45 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 95′ | Humor | 69 % | 50 % | 61 % | 45 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 101′ | Tension | 69 % | 53 % | 55 % | 33 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 106′ | Humor | 60 % | 52 % | 35 % | 18 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
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Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
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Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Wendy
Georges Thomason
Portia
Mrs. Coady
Customer in Jeweler's Shop
Inspector Marvin
Mr. Ian Johnson
Locksmith
Davidson
Sir John
Percival
Details
- Directed by
- John Cleese, Charles Crichton
- Written by
- John Cleese, Charles Crichton, John Cleese
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1988
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Country
- United Kingdom, United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
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Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.





