What Lies Beneath

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2:27

What Lies Beneath

PG-13

2000

2h 6m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

130 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer betrayed his beautiful wife Claire. But with Claire oblivious to the truth, Norman's life and marriage seem so perfect that when Claire tells him of hearing mysterious voices and seeing a young woman's image in their home, he dismisses her terror as delusion. Claire moves closer to the truth, and it becomes clear that this apparition will not be dismissed, and has come back for Dr. Spencer and his beautiful wife.

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Critics Consensus

Robert Zemeckis is unable to salvage an uncompelling and unoriginal film.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 29, 2010

2/5

Cross between Fatal Attraction, Poltergeist.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

May 8, 2002

D+

Most of the “boo” moments are obvious a mile off, which makes it hard to be properly frightened, or even startled.

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Ed Gonzalez

Slant Magazine

May 2, 2001

1.5/4

Pfeiffer almost single-handedly lifts the picture above mediocrity.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

May 19, 2025

3/5

Robert Zemeckis's filmmaking is precise but also a bit too precious and passionless. Still, Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer are perfectly cast & the melodramatic heat of its final stretch — featuring one of Zemeckis's all-time great bits — saves it.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

May 10, 2025

2/4

As schizophrenic as any film that comes to mind -- I reasonably wondered if elements from Wuthering Heights or Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood wouldn’t somehow find their way into this crazy patchwork quilt of a movie.

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Michele "Izzy" Galgana

ScreenAnarchy

May 8, 2025

A twisty, supernatural thriller with a good dose of melodrama. Think Hitchcock with a bit of Douglas Sirk. It’s a very well-made film. ... A very enjoyable, fun thriller, the kind that you want to watch on a dark, stormy night.

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Jonathan O

@RT41230270 4 days ago

Zemecks's goes full Hitchcock nicely done and Harrison and Michelle are fantastic but Harrison Ford as villain could have replaced other actor to play a bad guy and the cinematography looks good especially in this new 4K from scream/shout factory.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 5, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Jason R

@RT57613329 Aug 24, 2026

This is about as bland and lifeless a Hitchcock ripoff as you can find, despite the wattage of the lead performances.

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RichardAB T

@PoorDearRichard Jun 23, 2026

I have no idea why this film has such mixed reviews. With only a 58% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, I was expecting something far less enjoyable. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a solid, entertaining supernatural thriller with a good story and plenty of tension. The ghostly elements add just enough mystery without overwhelming the plot, and several scenes had me genuinely on edge. I'd also forgotten what a great screen presence Michelle Pfeiffer has—she carries the film effortlessly. Harrison Ford is good too, although I could have done without the shirtless scene. A perfect watch when you're in the mood for an engaging thriller that doesn't require you to spend the next three days decoding its symbolism.

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Max W

@MaxthorWoo May 3, 2026

Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford deliver mature and masterful performances; however, the third act of What Lies Beneath feels somewhat mediocre, and by today's standards, it no longer offers any real surprises.

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Diaulas F

@RT13630323 Mar 15, 2026

Um suspense de tirar o fôlego! E Michelle Pfeiffer que atuação brilhante! É um ótimo filme.

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Robert Zemeckis

Director

Harrison Ford

Norman Spencer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Claire Spencer

Diana Scarwid

Jody

Miranda Otto

Mary Feur

James Remar

Warren Feur

What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - Channeling the Dead

2:09

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - What Do You Want?

2:01

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - You Killed Her, Didn't You?

2:04

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - Drowning in the Bathtub

2:13

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - I Think She's Starting to Suspect Something

2:13

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - I Know You Killed Her

2:03

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - The Woman That Lies Beneath

2:12

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What Lies Beneath: Official Clip - Setting up a Suicide

2:13

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What Lies Beneath: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer betrayed his beautiful wife Claire. But with Claire oblivious to the truth, Norman's life and marriage seem so perfect that when Claire tells him of hearing mysterious voices and seeing a young woman's image in their home, he dismisses her terror as delusion. Claire moves closer to the truth, and it becomes clear that this apparition will not be dismissed, and has come back for Dr. Spencer and his beautiful wife.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Steve Starkey
Screenwriter: Clark Gregg, Sarah Kernochan, Clark Gregg
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG, 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks SKG, ImageMovers
Rating: PG-13 (Sensuality|Brief Language|Terror|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 21, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $155.4M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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