You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 3.83.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪ST47‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a web host's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and they should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 21:48, 22 February 2026.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪AntiCompositeNumber‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: Visit the FAQ if you are affected .
- Start of block: 15:08, 18 June 2022
- Expiry of block: 15:08, 18 April 2025
Your current IP address is 3.83.212.75. The blocked range is 3.83.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((short description|1992 film directed by Barbet Schroeder))
((About|the 1992 film|the album by Chely Wright|Single White Female (album)|its title track|Single White Female (song)))
((Infobox film
| name           = 
| image          = Single white female poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Barbet Schroeder]]
| producer       = Barbet Schroeder
| screenplay     = [[Don Roos]]
| based_on       = ((based on|''[[SWF Seeks Same]]''|[[John Lutz (mystery writer)|John Lutz]]))
| starring       = ((Plainlist|
* [[Bridget Fonda]]
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]]
* [[Steven Weber]]
* [[Peter Friedman]]))
| music          = [[Howard Shore]]
| cinematography = [[Luciano Tovoli]]
| editing        = [[Lee Percy]]
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released       = ((Film date|1992|8|14))
| runtime        = 108 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $16 million
| gross          = $84.1 million
))

'''''Single White Female''''' is a 1992 American [[psychological thriller|psychological]] [[erotic thriller]] film based on [[John Lutz (mystery writer)|John Lutz]]'s 1990 novel ''[[SWF Seeks Same]]''. It stars [[Bridget Fonda]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] and was directed by [[Barbet Schroeder]]. It follows recently estranged Allison Jones (Fonda), who begins to rent an apartment room to Hedra Carlson (Leigh). After she reconciles with her ex-boyfriend, she begins to find strange patterns of behavior in her tenant. 

Despite its box office success, ''Single White Female'' received mixed reviews from critics.<ref name="The Los Angeles Times_1))">((cite news|title= Weekend Box Office Eastwood Still Tall in the Saddle|work= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|url= https://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-18/entertainment/ca-5744_1_weekend-box-office|access-date= July 22, 2011|archive-date= 2011-04-02|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110402055245/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-18/entertainment/ca-5744_1_weekend-box-office|url-status= live))</ref><ref name="The Los Angeles Times_2))">((cite news|title= Weekend Box Office 'Unforgiven' at Top for Third Week|work= The Los Angeles Times|url= https://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-25/entertainment/ca-6052_1_weekend-box-office|access-date= July 22, 2011|archive-date= 2011-04-02|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110402055251/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-25/entertainment/ca-6052_1_weekend-box-office|url-status= live))</ref><ref name="Box Office Mojo">((cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=singlewhitefemale.htm |title=Single White Female |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-date=August 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826075911/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=singlewhitefemale.htm |url-status=live ))</ref><ref name="Variety">((cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/wb-col-tristar-ride-o-seas-wave-104154/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=February 21, 1993|title=WB, Col TriStar ride o’seas wave|last=Groves|first=Don|accessdate=April 20, 2023))</ref><ref name="IMDb" /><ref name="Rotten Tomatoes">((cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/single_white_female/ |title=Single White Female |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=March 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327082131/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/single_white_female |url-status=live ))</ref> It  was especially successful in the [[video rental]] market, often outperforming higher box office successes,<ref>((cite web|last=Hunt|first=Dennis|date=February 12, 1993 |title=National Video Rentals : Room at Top for ‘White Female’ |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-12-ca-1296-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]))</ref> and finishing in the top 10 video rentals of 1993.<ref>((cite web|date=January 22, 1994 |title=Home Video |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-01-22.pdf |page=66|magazine= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]))</ref> It has inspired many parodies, and cultural refences, and in subsequent years has become a [[Cult film|cult]] film.<ref>((cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/roommate-single-white-females-sister-leighton-meester-minka/story?id=12858823| title='The Roommate:' 'Single White Female's' Sister| date=February 8, 2011| website=[[ABC News]]| access-date=April 21, 2024))</ref>

==Plot==
New York City [[software design]]er Allison "Allie" Jones is engaged to Sam Rawson. Sam's ex-wife calls, and when it is revealed that he slept with her recently, Allie throws him out, breaking off their engagement. Her neighbor, aspiring actor Graham Knox, comforts her. The next morning, Allie attends a business lunch with Mitchell Myerson, a fashion house owner looking to buy Allie's revolutionary new program. He manipulates her into significantly reducing the price; as he is her first and only client, she accepts.

Allie advertises for a new roommate to share her apartment in [[the Ansonia]]. She settles on Hedra Carlson, whom she nicknames "Hedy", and they become friends. Hedy explains that her twin was stillborn, leaving her constantly lonely. Hedy becomes overly protective of Allie, erasing Sam's voicemail asking Allie to reconcile with him. She buys a puppy named Buddy to bond with Allie, but becomes jealous when Sam wins Allie back and they seek a new apartment for themselves. Perceiving Allie as having rejected her, Hedy is upset and becomes further frustrated when Buddy does not come to her even when she coaxes him. Allie and Sam later find Buddy's corpse on the ground below her apartment's window. Returning to the apartment, Allie sees that the window was open with a gap wide enough for Buddy to get through. Hedy claims that Buddy's death was an accident because she had thought the bars outside the window had been fixed.

Mitchell tries to coerce Allie into performing [[fellatio]] on him upon completing their deal, threatening to warn off future clients and not pay her, but she fights back and escapes. Seeing how distraught Allie is by the encounter, Hedy calls Mitchell and threatens him. To comfort Allie, Hedy takes her to get a haircut, but after Hedy appears dressed exactly like her, including her haircut, Allie is unnerved. That night, Allie follows Hedy to an underground nightclub and witnesses Hedy masquerading as Allie. Allie finds a shoebox containing letters addressed to Ellen Besch – Hedy's real name – along with a letter from Sam to Allie, and a newspaper clipping on the accidental drowning of Hedy's twin sister Judy when she was nine years old.

Allie tells Graham the truth about Hedy, both of them unaware Hedy is listening. Allie leaves, and Hedy attacks Graham, leaving him unconscious. When Sam returns the following night, Hedy impersonates Allie and begins to perform oral sex on him, but when he realizes it isn't Allie, he asks her to stop. Hedy ignores Sam and sexually assaults him, after which he realizes that Allie was right about Hedy. Hedy begs him to leave Allie alone, but he refuses and insists on telling Allie the truth. Furious, Hedy kills him by gouging his eye with her stiletto heel.

Hedy tells Allie she is about to leave. Seeing a news report on Sam's death, Allie realizes what has happened and tries to leave herself, but Hedy takes her hostage at gunpoint, explaining that everyone will believe Allie killed Sam. To "protect" Allie, Hedy tries to convince her that they must run away. While booking a flight online to Los Angeles, Allie attempts to attract help by turning up the volume on her television to a disruptive level, but Hedy catches her.

Mitchell notices his files being erased (a security program initiated by late payments), and rushes to find Allie. He finds her bound and gagged with duct tape, but while he attempts to free Allie, Hedy shoots and kills him. Hedy then tries to persuade Allie to commit suicide via drug overdose, but Allie resists. Hedy points the gun at Allie as she tries to run, begging Allie not to leave her. Allie coldly replies, "I'm not like your sister, Hedy. Not anymore. I'm like you now." Graham regains consciousness and assists Allie. Allie drags Hedy off him and flees, but Hedy shoots her in the shoulder. After seemingly strangling Allie to death, Hedy drags her towards the incinerator, but Allie recovers and escapes. Screaming for Allie to come out, Hedy lashes out at a mirror inside a closet. Allie stabs her in the back with a screwdriver, and they struggle before a horrified and saddened Allie watches as Hedy dies.

In an epilogue, Allie narrates that she has finally moved on. She forgives Hedy for killing Sam, and tries to forgive herself for Hedy's death, stating that Hedy's downfall is an example of how [[Survivor guilt|survivor's guilt]] can destroy a person. The film finishes with a photo of both Allie and Hedy's faces combined into one.

==Cast==
* [[Bridget Fonda]] as Allison "Allie" Jones
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] as Hedra "Hedy" Carlson / Ellen Besch
* [[Steven Weber]] as Sam Rawson
* [[Peter Friedman]] as Graham Knox
* [[Stephen Tobolowsky]] as Mitchell Myerson
* [[Frances Bay]] as Elderly Neighbor
* [[Jessica Lundy]] as Talkative Applicant
* [[Kenneth Tobey|Ken Tobey]] as Desk Clerk

==Production==
[[The Ansonia]] on New York City's Upper West Side was used for the exterior shots of the apartment block.<ref>((Cite web |title=Filming Locations for Single White Female (1992), in New York. |url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/Single-White-Female.php |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |archive-date=2022-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824212011/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/Single-White-Female.php |url-status=live ))</ref>

Following a poor test screening, the ending was reshot.<ref>((cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1995/scene/markets-festivals/the-rationale-of-re-shoots-99130395/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=The rationale of re-shoots|last=Young|first=Paul F.|date=July 10, 1995))</ref>

==Reception==
=== Box office ===
The film debuted at No. 2 at the US box office on its opening weekend behind ''[[Unforgiven]]'',<ref name="The Los Angeles Times_1">"Weekend Box Office Eastwood Still Tall in the Saddle". 2011-07-02.</ref><ref name="The Los Angeles Times_2">"Weekend Box Office 'Unforgiven' at Top for Third Week". 2011-07-02.</ref> and grossed $48 million at the box office in the United States and Canada,<ref name="Box Office Mojo" /> while it grossing $36 million overseas,<ref name="Variety" /> for a worldwide total of $84 million.<ref name="IMDb">((IMDb name|id=0105414|section=box))</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 53% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The site's critics consensus states: "''Single White Female'' benefits from a pair of outstanding leads, neither of whom are well served by a storyline that wavers between thrillingly tense and utterly ridiculous."<ref name="Rotten Tomatoes" />

((MC film|63|25|ref=yes|access-date=April 27, 2022)) Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">((cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com |access-date=2017-10-17 |archive-date=2018-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |url-status=live ))</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three stars out of four with the comment, "No genre is beyond redemption or beneath contempt, and here the slasher genre is given its due with strong performances and direction."<ref name=Ebert>((cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/single-white-female-1992 |title=Single White Female |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=14 August 1992 |access-date=5 April 2020 |archive-date=22 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522141244/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/single-white-female-1992 |url-status=live))</ref>  He also questioned why the character Hedra had been given such an unusual name.<ref name=Ebert/>

[[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] won a [[MTV Movie Award for Best Villain]], and was also nominated for a [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress]].

The character of Hedy has been cited as an example of [[borderline personality disorder]]. She suffers from a markedly disturbed sense of identity, and tries to remedy it by adopting the wholesome attributes of her roommate. It is implied that she feels a deep-seated emptiness, while her fear of [[abandonment (emotional)|abandonment]] leads to drastic measures.<ref>((cite book |title=Reel Psychiatry: Movie Portrayals of Psychiatric Conditions |author=Robinson, DJ |publisher=Rapid Psychler Press |location=Port Huron, Michigan |isbn=1-894328-07-8 |page=235 |date=January 2003 ))</ref>

==Sequel==
The film was followed by a 2005 [[direct to video]] sequel, ''[[Single White Female 2: The Psycho]]'', starring [[Kristen Miller]], Allison Lange and [[Brooke Burns]].

==Home media==
''Single White Female'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] in January 1993 from [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Video]], and eventually on DVD in February 1998. The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] from [[Scream Factory]] on November 13, 2018, featuring new interviews with director [[Barbet Schroeder]], actors [[Steven Weber (actor)|Steven Weber]] and [[Peter Friedman]] and screenwriter [[Don Roos]], an audio commentary from Schroeder, editor [[Lee Percy]] and associate producer Susan Hoffman, and a theatrical trailer.

As of December 2016, [[NBC]] was developing a television adaptation of the film.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/single-white-female-tv-series-works-at-nbc-957075|title='Single White Female' TV Series In the Works at NBC (Exclusive)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=16 December 2016|access-date=11 December 2018|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928122355/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/single-white-female-tv-series-works-at-nbc-957075|url-status=live))</ref>

==See also==
((Portal|Film|United States))
* [[List of films featuring home invasions]]

==References==
((reflist))

==External links==
* ((IMDb title|0105414))
* ((Rotten-tomatoes|single_white_female))
* ((mojo title|singlewhitefemale))
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/film.php?filmid=3679 Movie stills]

((Barbet Schroeder))
((Don Roos))
<!--Split film/book article intentional - Please do not remove this comment-->

[[Category:1992 drama films]]
[[Category:1992 films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s erotic films]]
[[Category:1990s psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:American LGBT-related films]]
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:Fiction about borderline personality disorder]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about murderers]]
[[Category:Films about stalking]]
[[Category:Films about twins]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on thriller novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Barbet Schroeder]]
[[Category:Films produced by Barbet Schroeder]]
[[Category:Films scored by Howard Shore]]
[[Category:Films set in apartment buildings]]
[[Category:Films set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Don Roos]]
[[Category:Films about home invasion]]
[[Category:LGBT-related drama films]]
[[Category:LGBT-related thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1992 in American cinema]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Single White Female (edit)
Template:About (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Barbet Schroeder (edit)
Template:Based on (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite magazine (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite news (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Don Roos (edit)
Template:EditAtWikidata (view source) (protected)
Template:Film date (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Has short description (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:IMDb name (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:IMDb title (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:If empty (view source) (protected)
Template:Ifsubst (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox film (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox film/short description (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Longitem (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:MC film (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:MONTHNAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:MONTHNUMBER (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:Metacritic film prose (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Mojo title (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:PAGENAMEBASE (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Pluralize from text (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Rotten-tomatoes (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Rotten Tomatoes (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Start date (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Str find (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:Trim (view source) (protected)
Template:Wikidata (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:WikidataCheck (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Yesno (view source) (protected)
Module:About (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Based on (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Detect singular (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:EditAtWikidata (view source) (protected)
Module:Format link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:GetParameters (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote list (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If empty (view source) (protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Italic title (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/images/f (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/images/u (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:String2 (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Text (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ustring (view source) (protected)
Module:Wd (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wd/i18n (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataCheck (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Single White Female.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_White_Female"