Parents' Guide to

Gaslight

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Brilliant '40s classic of mind-game suspense.

Movie NR 1944 114 minutes
Gaslight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
October 14, 2022
age 12+

Bergman and Boyer shine!

Bergman is a marvel! And Boyer is very convincing as a manipulative husband who maneuvers his wife into a corner that is suspicious and slowly terrifying. And Lansbury...well, she is just tone perfect! Everyone knows what type of film it is and the stars carry a dollop as they negotiate their lives between the well articulated set pieces and costumes. The devastation felt by so many characters feels palpable. A great film that depicts the harrowing skill of trying to survive every day slights that quickly assemble and metastasize into the fabric of your home life.
EvanstonMom
EvanstonMom Adult
October 14, 2013
age 9+

Not to be missed!

More creepy (and upsetting to see Ingrid Bergman in distress) than actually scary. One note: This excellent film was directed by the great George Cukor, not the great Alfred Hitchcock
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What's the Story?

In GASLIGHT, Paula Alquist (Ingrid Bergman) falls in love with Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer), a musician, and once they are married, he persuades her to move into the house she lived in as a child, which has been closed since her aunt was murdered there. Gregory seems solicitous and caring, but he isolates Paula from everyone and makes her doubt herself and her sanity. He convinces her that she's always losing things, that she sees things that are not there, that she's unstable and untrustworthy. Every night, while Gregory is away, the gaslights flicker and Paula hears noises from the attic. Gregory persuades her that these are just her delusions. Just as Paula's fragile hold on reality is about to break, she's visited by Brian Cameron (Joseph Cotten) of Scotland Yard. With his help, she learns that Gregory is using an assumed name, that he's a thief, and that he had known her late aunt, a famous singer. Cameron and Paula team up to stop Gregory from pulling off his devious plan.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

George Cukor's classic tale of suspense is a good way to begin a conversation about vulnerability and manipulation. Gregory is almost able to drive Paula mad by making her think she's mad already. By cutting her off from any outside reality, by coolly denying what she sees and hears for herself, by telling her over and over again that she is helpless and incompetent, he begins to turn her into the person he tells her that she is. Families can use this movie to discuss how some in positions of power are often accused of trying to "gaslight" those who disagree with their policies, and other situations in which manipulative people try to "gaslight" those around them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the examples of vulnerability and manipulation depicted in this classic suspense movie.

  • What are some other examples of movie, TV, or book titles that later became popular terms to describe situations or behavior?

  • The term "gaslighting" has become more widely used since 2016. Why do you think that's the case, and what are some examples of "gaslighting" in current events?

Movie Details

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