The Clairvoyant

The Clairvoyant

Year: 1982

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: English

Director: Armand Mastroianni

FantasyCrimeThrillerMysteryHorror

Two uneasy allies—a police officer and a TV talk‑show host—team up to hunt the elusive “handcuff killer.” They are guided by a gifted artist who can foresee the murders and sketches the crimes before they happen, leading the duo on a tense cat‑and‑mouse chase.

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Timeline & Setting – The Clairvoyant (1982)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Clairvoyant (1982). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

New York City, Hudson River

Set in Manhattan along the Hudson River, the film weaves crime scenes through bars, theaters, and a bustling arts district. Key locations include the Hudson River waterfront, a BDSM leather bar, the Art Students League, and the Comic Strip stand-up club. The urban landscape amplifies the tension of investigation and media attention that swirl around the case.

🏙️ Urban crime 🗽 City setting 🎨 Arts scene

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

Main Characters – The Clairvoyant (1982)

Meet the key characters of The Clairvoyant (1982), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Virna Nightbourne

An art student at the Art Students League of New York with latent precognitive abilities. Her nocturnal visions and drawings connect Elizabeth's murder to the other crimes, turning art into a tool for the investigation. She grapples with the burden of foreknowledge and the ethical implications of acting on what she sees.

🎨 Artist 🔮 Psychic

Paul 'Mac' McCormack

An ambitious TV talk-show host whose charm masks a brutal propensity for control. He is implicated in Elizabeth's murder and follow-on crimes through Virna's visions, and he pursues Virna while manipulating the investigation. His confrontation with Larry ends in a deadly rooftop fall.

🎭 Villain 🔪 Killer

Detective Larry Weeks

A police detective and aspiring stand‑up comedian who teams with Mac to locate the killer, then pivots as Virna's visions illuminate new connections. He uses deduction and persistence to interpret the drawings and pursue leads, culminating in the takedown of the killer.

🕵️ Detective 🎤 Stand-up

Detective Cullum

A seasoned police detective who helps coordinate the investigation and follows the evolving clues alongside his colleagues.

🕵️ Detective 🧩 Investigator

Muriel

Virna's roommate and a nurse who notices the pattern of the crimes forming around Virna's drawings; she becomes a victim in the killer's pattern.

👩‍⚕️ Nurse 🧑‍🎨 Witness

Willie Gonzales

A Puerto Rican immigrant who attacks Mac after claiming he was paid to do so; he is killed by a responding officer in a panic.

🚧 Assault 🕊️ Fatal

Willie Gonzalez Hitman Backup in Bar scene

A backup hitman involved in the bar scene, glimpsed briefly but tied to the chain of violence surrounding the case.

🎭 Bar scene 🗡️ Violence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

Major Themes – The Clairvoyant (1982)

Explore the central themes of The Clairvoyant (1982), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Investigation

Two detectives, along with a TV host, chase a killer who uses handcuffs and staged violence to claim victims along New York's riverfront. The investigation is driven by a series of murders that link seemingly random victims through a chilling pattern. The pursuit is tense, blending procedural craft with a sense of urban danger. The film uses a noir lens to show how motive and opportunity intersect with showmanship.

🔮 Clairvoyance

Virna's unconscious, precognitive abilities steer the investigation as she dreams and draws scenes that mirror the crimes. The artist's visions reveal connections between Elizabeth's past and the current murders, turning art into evidence. The film crafts a supernatural thread within a crime story, raising questions about fate, guilt, and responsibility. These visions blur the line between intuition and reality, shaping the detectives' approach.

⚠️ Danger & Deception

Ambition and manipulation drive Paul 'Mac' McCormack, whose charm masks a brutal willingness to use others. The relationships among Mac, Det. Weeks, and Virna expose a web of trust broken by violence. The killer's identity is slowly uncovered as Mac's sins collide with Virna's visions and the detective's deductions. The rooftop confrontation culminates in a fatal fall, sealing the truth and reshaping the survivors' lives.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:49

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The Clairvoyant Summary

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The Clairvoyant Summary

The Clairvoyant Timeline

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The Clairvoyant Timeline

More About The Clairvoyant

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More About The Clairvoyant

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