Kiss of the Spider Woman
“Once upon a time... in a tropical island far away, there lived a strange woman…”
Synopsis
The story of two radically different men thrown together in a Latin American prison cell. One is Valentin, a journalist being tortured for his political beliefs. The other is Molina, a gay window-dresser who fills their lonely nights by spinning romantic fantasies drawn from memories of old movies.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Re-release TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2015-11-25
Top Cast
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William Hurt
Luis Molina
Raúl Juliá
Valentin Arregui
Sonia Braga
Leni Lamaison / Marta / Spider Woman
José Lewgoy
Warden
Milton Gonçalves
Pedro
Miriam Pires
Mother
Nuno Leal Maia
Gabriel
Fernando Torres
Americo
Patricio Bisso
Greta
Herson Capri
Werner
Denise Dumont
Michele
Nildo Parente
Leader of Resistance
Antônio Petrin
Clubfoot
Wilson Grey
Flunky
Miguel Falabella
Lieutenant
Walter Breda
Agent #1
Luis Guilherme
Agent #2
Walmir Barros
Agent #3
Release History & Theatrical Window
July 26, 1985
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 18, 2010
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.3M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$17M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
13.6x
+$15.8M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Héctor Babenco
- Screenplay & Story
- Leonard Schrader
- Original Score
- Nando Cordeiro, John Neschling
- Original Title
- Kiss of the Spider Woman
- Country of Origin
- Brazil, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian, German, Portuguese, French
- Runtime
- 2h 0m
- Production Budget
- $1.3M
- Worldwide Gross
- $17M
- Production Studios
- HB Filmes, Island Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Héctor Babenco
Leonard Schrader, Manuel Puig
Nando Cordeiro, John Neschling
Rodolfo Sánchez
Mauro Alice
Francisco Ramalho Jr., David Weisman
Department Leadership Roster
Leonard Schrader
Screenplay
David Weisman
Producer
Héctor Babenco
Director
Rodolfo Sánchez
Director of Photography
Mauro Alice
Editor
Nando Cordeiro
Original Music Composer
John Neschling
Original Music Composer
Patricio Bisso
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Jellyseerr Watchlist
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Master List In Progress
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kiss of the Spider Woman
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Kiss of the Spider Woman about?
The story of two radically different men thrown together in a Latin American prison cell. One is Valentin, a journalist being tortured for his political beliefs. The other is Molina, a gay window-dresser who fills their lonely nights by spinning romantic fantasies drawn from memories of old movies.
Who directed Kiss of the Spider Woman?
Kiss of the Spider Woman was directed by Héctor Babenco.
Who stars in Kiss of the Spider Woman?
The principal cast of Kiss of the Spider Woman includes William Hurt, Raúl Juliá, Sonia Braga, José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves.
When was Kiss of the Spider Woman released and how long is it?
Kiss of the Spider Woman was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 2h 0m.
What was the box office and production budget of Kiss of the Spider Woman?
Kiss of the Spider Woman had a reported production budget of $1.3M and grossed $17M at the worldwide box office (13.6 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Kiss of the Spider Woman?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Kiss of the Spider Woman was composed by Nando Cordeiro, John Neschling.
Is Kiss of the Spider Woman based on a book or true story?
Kiss of the Spider Woman is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Manuel Puig".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Kiss of the Spider Woman?
Kiss of the Spider Woman holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).