Hussy

Hussy

Year: 1980

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Matthew Chapman

RomanceDrama

The film asks how much sex is enough as Beaty, a prostitute, and Emory, a lighting‑and‑sound technician, fall in love while working at a London cabaret. Their passionate bond is strained by the demands of their jobs, jealousy and the blurred line between performance and personal life, making their relationship anything but easy.

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Timeline & Setting – Hussy (1980)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hussy (1980). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

London, England

The story unfolds in London's cabaret circuit, where smoky clubs and late-night venues provide cover for both romance and danger. The city’s crowded stage lights, crowded rooms and the anonymity of urban life amplify Beaty’s vulnerability and the couple’s precarious choices. It’s a working-class setting where performance hides desperation and the line between performance and reality blurs.

🏙️ City 🎭 Nightlife

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

Main Characters – Hussy (1980)

Meet the key characters of Hussy (1980), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Beaty Simons (Helen Mirren)

Beaty works as a prostitute at a London cabaret and begins an affair with Emory. Her love is tested by Beaty's job and by her young son; she fears losing him or exposing him to danger. She navigates manipulation and threat from past lovers while trying to carve out a safer future with Emory.

💃 Protagonist 💔 Torn 🧒 Mother

Emory Cole (John Shea)

Emory is a sound/lighting technician who falls for Beaty. He carries a dark secret about the accidental death of his wife, which haunts him and fuels his guilt. He longs to leave for a new life with Beaty and her son, but the criminal underworld and Beaty's past threaten their plans.

💖 Romantic 🕵️ Secretive 🧭 Loyal

Max (Murray Salem)

Max is Emory's sophisticated, abrasive gay friend who wants to pull Emory into a drug deal. He is articulate, stylish and outspoken, but his arrogance and provocations spark danger and violence, escalating toward a fatal confrontation.

💼 Criminal 🎭 Charismatic

Alex Denham (Paul Angelis)

Alex is Beaty's abusive former lover and possibly her pimp, a brutish, violent working-class thug who threatens Beaty and Emory. He arrives seeking control, agrees to join the caper with brutal intent, and his volatile nature intensifies the couple's peril.

🗡️ Brutal 💥 Threatening

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

Major Themes – Hussy (1980)

Explore the central themes of Hussy (1980), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💖 Love

Beaty and Emory begin a dangerous, forbidden romance in a London cabaret world. Their love is pulled between affection and fear as Beaty's past and her motherly obligations complicate commitment. Emory's secret about his deceased wife haunts him, making trust fragile. The relationship becomes a fragile refuge from their violent surroundings, yet it teeters on the edge of collapse as external threats close in.

🕵️ Crime

A web of drug deals and brutal violence encroaches on the couple's fragile happiness. Max's pushy, pretentious attitude triggers a brutal murder, exposing how quickly loyalty in this world can vanish. The men around them—Max, Alex—are capable of extreme violence, turning ordinary decisions into deadly gambits. The caper itself is a cover for deeper predation and control.

⏳ Secrets

The past keeps creeping into the present through Beaty's ex-lover and Emory's wife death; both are past companions whose presence threatens their future. Beaty's determination to protect her son anchors her choices, but also traps her in the past. The tension between memory and action drives the couple's decisions and contributes to their precarious future.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:12

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Hussy Summary

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Hussy Summary

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Hussy Timeline

More About Hussy

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