The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover poster

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The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

1989 · Movie · 124 min
B

MEANRANK

79/100

Averaged across 10 ratings · 157.9K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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62–88 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Metacritic critics on 62, highest is Rotten Tomatoes viewers on 88.

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In a lavish, brutalist restaurant, a vile and boorish criminal holds court each night with his subdued wife and his crew. The wife, seeking escape from her husband's cruelty, begins a secret affair with a gentle, bookish patron who dines there regularly. Their liaisons are facilitated by the restaurant's staff, particularly the head cook, creating a tense world of betrayal and desire hidden within the opulent, theatrical setting of the dining room.

Details

Released
13 October 1989
Country
France, United Kingdom, Netherlands
Language
English, French, Dutch
Runtime
124 min
Rated
NC-17
Budget
$2.3M
Box office
$7.7M
Awards
3 wins, 3 nominations

This title elsewhere

Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

Albert Spica

Richard Bohringer

Richard Bohringer

Richard Boarst

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren

Georgina Spica

Alan Howard

Alan Howard

Michael

Tim Roth

Tim Roth

Mitchel

Liz Smith

Liz Smith

Grace

Gary Olsen

Gary Olsen

Spangler

Awards & nominations

See all 6 →

3 wins from 6 nominations across 4 ceremonies

3rd European Film Awards 1990 Best Production Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier Nominee
3rd European Film Awards 1990 Best Production Designer Ben Van Os Nominee
3rd European Film Awards 1990 Best Production Designer Jan Roelfs Nominee
Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award 1989 Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award Winner
Sitges Film Festival Best Director award 1989 Sitges Film Festival Best Director award Winner
Sitges Film Festival Best cinematography 1989 Sitges Film Festival Best cinematography Winner

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.