Poison
1991 · 85 min · Director: Todd Haynes
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In "Hero," Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. After the event, a documentary in cheesy lurid colors asks what Richie was like and what led up to the shooting. In the black and white "Horror," a scientist isolates the elixir of human sexuality, drinks it, and becomes a festering, contagious murderer; a female colleague who loves him tries to help, to her peril. In "Homo," a prisoner in Fontenal prison is drawn to an inmate whom he knew some years before, at Baton juvenile institute, and whose humiliations he witnessed. This story is told in dim light, except for the bright flashbacks.
Emotional fingerprint
Poison (1991) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Disturbing 30%, Confusion 25%, Sadness 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Disturbing30%
- Confusion25%
- Sadness20%
- Anxiety15%
- Empathy10%
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 Disturbing, Confusion, Sadness. Genres: Drama, Romance, Horror. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Disturbing, Confusion and Sadness. Its IMDb rating of 6.3/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 65/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sympathy
- Sadness
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sympathy | Sadness | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Curiosity | 67 % | 28 % | 23 % | 45 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 6′ | Tension | 57 % | 29 % | 18 % | 31 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 11′ | Curiosity | 53 % | 26 % | 13 % | 18 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Curiosity | 57 % | 35 % | 19 % | 31 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Disturbing | 64 % | 49 % | 29 % | 48 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Curiosity | 65 % | 55 % | 41 % | 44 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Sympathy | 70 % | 65 % | 56 % | 50 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Sympathy | 73 % | 71 % | 60 % | 55 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Sympathy | 68 % | 63 % | 49 % | 49 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Disturbing | 69 % | 53 % | 39 % | 57 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Disturbing | 75 % | 52 % | 42 % | 70 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Disturbing | 80 % | 72 % | 62 % | 73 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Sadness | 74 % | 63 % | 59 % | 61 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 62′ | Tension | 71 % | 49 % | 46 % | 57 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Tension | 74 % | 49 % | 41 % | 61 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Sympathy | 80 % | 65 % | 51 % | 70 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Disturbing | 89 % | 76 % | 64 % | 80 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Sadness | 90 % | 76 % | 75 % | 73 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Sadness | 87 % | 75 % | 78 % | 58 % |
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 ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Poison. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Millie Sklar ("Hero")
Gregory Lazar ("Hero")
Evelyn McAlpert ("Hero")
Sylvia Manning ("Hero")
Sean White ("Hero")
Dr. MacArthur ("Hero")
Hazel Lamprecht ("Hero")
Officer Rilt ("Hero")
Edward Comacho ("Hero")
Florence Giddens ("Hero")
Jake ("Hero")
Chris ("Hero")
Fred Beacon ("Hero")
Jose ("Hero")
Nancy Olsen ("Horror")
Deputy Hansen ("Horror")
Prostitute ("Horror")
Details
- Directed by
- Todd Haynes
- Written by
- Todd Haynes, Jean Genet
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1991
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Disturbing
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.
