A Perfect Murder

A Perfect Murder

Year: 1998

Runtime: 108 min

Language: English

Director: Andrew Davis

ThrillerCrime

A ruthless Wall Street mogul, Steven Taylor, discovers his wife’s infidelity and concocts a scheme to manipulate her death for financial gain. He enlists the help of her lover, David, to stage a seemingly random murder. As their elaborate plan unfolds, unforeseen complications arise, and the carefully constructed web of deceit begins to unravel, putting their freedom and reputations at risk as the truth threatens to surface.

A Perfect Murder (1998) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at A Perfect Murder (1998) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the glittering towers of Manhattan, the world of high finance hums with relentless ambition, where fortunes are made and lost in the span of a single trade. The sleek corridors of a Wall Street powerhouse become a backdrop for intrigue, its polished veneer masking a relentless drive for control. Within this pressure‑cooked environment, personal relationships are strained by the unforgiving demands of wealth and power, setting the stage for a tension that feels both intimate and universal.

​Steven Taylor is a charismatic yet ruthless mogul whose reputation for decisive action precedes him. Beneath his polished exterior lies a man willing to bend morality to safeguard his empire, and when he uncovers a breach in his marriage, his calculated mind spins a daring plan that could reshape his future. His marriage to the strikingly youthful Emily teeters on a fragile edge, as love and loyalty clash with the insatiable appetite for success that defines his world.

Emily finds herself torn between the comforts of an opulent life and the magnetic pull of a mysterious lover, the enigmatic artist David. Their connection hints at a world far removed from the sterile confines of corporate boardrooms, offering a glimpse of passion and danger that threatens to upend everything Steven has built. As the three navigate the delicate balance of desire, betrayal, and ambition, the city itself seems to pulse with a quiet, electric tension, promising that every decision carries weight far beyond the personal.

The film moves with a sleek, noir‑tinged rhythm, mixing the cold precision of Wall Street with the raw intensity of personal desperation. Its tone is both sophisticated and unsettling, inviting viewers into a labyrinth of secrets where each character must confront the cost of their choices. The atmosphere is charged with an ever‑present sense of impending consequence, leaving the audience poised on the brink of discovery, eager to see how the delicate web of desire and deception will ultimately unravel.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 13:04

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Deadly Marriage Thrillers like A Perfect Murder

A crumbling marriage becomes the backdrop for a high-stakes murder plot.If you liked the tense dynamic of spousal betrayal in A Perfect Murder, you'll find similar stories here. These movies feature couples entangled in murder plots, blackmail, and dangerous secrets, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of suspicion.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often begin with a seemingly stable relationship that harbors a fatal secret, typically adultery or financial desperation. This secret ignites a plot—usually a murder-for-gain scheme—that spirals out of control as plans unravel and alliances shift, forcing characters into a desperate fight for self-preservation against their closest enemy.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their focus on the home as a battleground, the theme of intimate betrayal, and the high-tension narrative of a domestic partnership turning lethally adversarial. They share a dark, cynical tone and explore the terrifying vulnerability that comes from being betrayed by a spouse.

Cynical Thrillers of Unraveling Schemes like A Perfect Murder

A perfectly laid criminal plan meets unforeseen consequences and moral decay.For viewers who enjoyed watching the murder plot fall apart in A Perfect Murder, this section collects similar stories of elaborate criminal plans going awry. These films are fast-paced, dark, and feature characters whose greed or arrogance leads to their downfall.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows arrogant or desperate characters who believe they can execute a perfect crime—be it murder, heist, or fraud. Their overconfidence blinds them to the human variables and unforeseen complications that cause their intricate web of lies to violently unravel, resulting in a bleak or bittersweet conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by a shared cynical worldview, a focus on the mechanics of a crime plot, and a fast-paced structure driven by the successive failure of each step in the plan. They deliver a consistent mood of anxious paranoia as the characters' control slips away.

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A Perfect Murder Summary

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A Perfect Murder Summary

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A Perfect Murder Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in A Perfect Murder

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Perfect Murder

More About A Perfect Murder

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Discover movies like A Perfect Murder that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.