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Roman Polanski, Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Bernard Fresson ... see more see more... , Shelley Winters , Lila Kedrova , Rufus , Claude Dauphin , Jacques Monod , Jean-Pierre Bagot , Josiane Balasko , Michel Blanc , Florence Blot , Romain Bouteille , Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu , Alain Frerot , Héléna Manson , Maïté Nahyr , Andre Penvern , Claude Piéplu , Serge Spira , Gérard Jugnot , Eva Ionesco , Francois Viaur

Director Roman Polanski casts himself in the lead of the psychological thriller The Tenant. Trelkovsky (Polanski) rents an apartment in a spooky old residential building, where his neighbors -- mostly... read more read more... old recluses -- eye him with suspicious contempt. Upon discovering that the apartment's previous tenant, a beautiful young woman, jumped from the window in a suicide attempt, Trelkovsky begins obsessing over the dead woman. Growing increasingly paranoid, Trelkovsky convinces himself that his neighbors plan to kill him. He even comes to the conclusion that Stella (Isabel Adjani), the woman he has fallen in love with, is in on the "plot." Ultimately, Polanski assumes the identity of the suicide victim -- and inherits her self-destructive urges. Some critics found the movie tedious and overdone; others compared it to Polanski's early breakthrough, Repulsion. The film was based on Le Locataire Chimerique, a novel by Roland Topor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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R, 2 hr. 5 min.

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Release Date: May 26, 1976

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (731)

  • brooklynspo
    May 14, 2007
    brooklynspo
    I think I know what happened. But I'm not sure.

    Opening shots of apartment windows are amazing.
  • cosmo313
    April 5, 2012
    cosmo313
    Let's just say that the rating is somewhere between 3.5-4, and that the grade is around a strong B to a B+.

    Part of Polanski's "Apartment Trilogy", this is a surreal psychological horror/suspense thriller about a timid and quiet file clerk named Trelkovsky whose life starts to ... read morego downhill after moving into a new apartment. He is told that the previous tenant went mad and took a swan dive out a window. Trelkovsky himself starts to feel that his neighbors all have something against him and are trying to get him to follow the same path taken by the previous tenant. Is this really the truth though, or is it all just in his head? The set up is great, and I love how Polanski plays with ambiguity here, all the way through.

    It's also funny how he plays the lead role, but isn't even listed in the credits, something that is both odd and cool. This is a psychological horror/suspense thriller, but it is also rather funny at times, albeit the comedy is of the really dark variety. Like I said, I love the set up, but the film isn't perfect. The biggest issue is that it is just way too drawn out. I really don't think it needed to be 125 minutes long. It could have been way condensed. However, haviing a long running time does allow for a tremendous amount of mood, tone, and atmosphere to be really expanded upon, even if it does start to become a tad much.

    The cast is international, and they are all great. Polanski does a great job in the lead, and it is a shame he really doesn't act too much. He's pretty talented in this department. Isabelle Adjani is great with her frilly hair and oh so 70s glasses, but probably my favorite is Shelley Winters as the concierge. She's a hoot.

    All in all, a mostly pretty satisfying film. The soundtrack is nice, the cinematography top notch, and the storyline wonderfully Kafkaesque. Give this one a shot.
  • SirPant
    November 17, 2011
    SirPant
    Roman Polanski makes a good point on over population and the role of the neighbour/community. It's hard to describe really, to call it a physiological thriller seems a bit lazy and reading the synopsis makes it sound a bit rubbish. It's an interesting idea though, full of terror ... read moreand intrigue. I like the idea of putting schizophrenia on a loop, I guess that's what it's actually like in a way. How's that for bit of pop psychology!
  • ajv2688
    January 3, 2011
    ajv2688
    My favourite Polanski movie of all! He stars in it as well, and he's so cute! The story is really strange and suspenseful. I love it, and I highly recommend it.
  • RCCLBC
    June 29, 2010
    RCCLBC
    Probably my least favorite of the Polanski "Apartment Trilogies", but certaily not without merit.

    I have to say that (for the most part) my first impression of the film was one of confusion, to spite the great performaces of the cast. But it is one of those films that you may... read more have to spend a little time thinking about, to really appreciate just how good it really is.

    Definately worth seeing for fans of the genre and another fine example of just how talented Polanski is.
  • ythelastman89
    March 30, 2010
    ythelastman89
    An extremely underrated Roman Polanski film and actually one of his most well done thrillers. It combines a lot of the elements from Repulsion and Rosemaryâ??s Baby, but has a very original way of consistently going in bizarre and unexpected directions. Roman Polanski does a grea... read moret job of acting as well, he really plays a great character that anyone can relate to in the beginning. However, he elegantly turns into a monster throughout the film, almost becoming unrecognizable at the end. His visual style is flawless here and incredibly disturbing in a lot of ways. It will make anyone living alone feel very creeped out.
  • rubystevens
    March 11, 2009
    rubystevens
    a man is driven insane by his evil apartment? perhaps the egyptology angle is worth considering. i'll have to think on it some more. ranges from black comedy to really fucked up psychological horror. some bad dubbing and adjani is terrible but the overall effect is pretty br... read moreutal
  • DrBenway
    March 3, 2009
    DrBenway
    Much like Rosemary's Baby, The Tenant deals with the dark side of apartment life where the maincharacter, Trelkovsky, played by Polanski himself, moves into a apartment complex and begins to suspect there is a plot to get rid of him. There is a steady sense of dread within the s... read moreuffocating walls of Trelkovsky's apartment that, as the film progresses, follows him out into the streets, cafes, and bars of Paris.

    The Tenant is a very bizarre film that borders on dark comedy at times, especially during the film's final act. It's a fantastic "No fucking way!" kinda film, even with its' weakest point being Adjani. Overall, it's very cool to see how Polanski progresses as a filmmaker from Repulsion to Rosemary's Baby to Chinatown to The Tenant, with some others in between.
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  • 76Majikat
    February 17, 2009
    76Majikat
    The biggest problem with this film, is that it is incredibly drawn out, however, it?s storyline is captivating and Polanski plays a great main role as well as Directing this piece, plus all the characters have been very well developed.

    The story evolves well into a world of co... read morenspiracy and paranoia, this was conveyed well from the build up of the story.

    There were a few badly dubbed scenes, but despite it?s drawn out length, this is a film to be remembered.
  • ceWEBrity
    July 18, 2008
    ceWEBrity
    The Tenant isn't a bad movie by any means, but my biggest problem with it is that Polanski is just not an actor. I had a lot of trouble taking it seriously because he was both inexpressive and prone to making really bizarre faces and noises. Further, it felt talky to no real effe... read morect, as if he didn't understand what needed to be abridged. That's fine for neo-realist film but this is supposed to be a dark, atmospheric piece - cut out the fat, dude.

    There are some vaguely creepy sections and the movie is more interesting than not. As far as Polanski's efforts in the "apartment living sucks" genre, though, Rosemary's Baby was miles better. There, Mia Farrow was playing both a character and a concept, rather than just a stand-in for insanity like Polanski is acting like here.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
October 18, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

It has a humorous tang, underlying the macabre. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

The film is superbly acted by Mr. Polanski, Mr. Douglas and Miss Winters. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

As a film by Polanski, it's unspeakably disappointing. Full Review

J. Hoberman
February 3, 2004
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

It's an exercise in urban paranoia and mental disintegration that echoes or anticipates everything from Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby to Bitter Moon and The Pianist. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The end result is somewhere between Franz Kafka and William Castle, but still worth seeing. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
June 6, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Poorly received on its release, it has since become a cult fave. Full Review

Kim Newman
February 18, 2010
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

A disturbing and poignant anthology of Roman Polanski's favourite, oppressive themes. Full Review

February 18, 2010
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The film [is] extremely, scarily effective (it is also surprisingly funny). Full Review

Steve Biodrowski
December 11, 2009
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique

Although overshadowed by director Roman Polanski's more famous horror efforts... The Tenant is in many ways superior - a haunting, mesmerizing tale of a man's loss of identity and descent into madness. Full Review

Tim Brayton
September 14, 2007
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

Owing to the very same personal urgency that makes it a masterpiece, it is overwhelmingly solipsistic and ultimately alienating. Full Review

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    • Madame Dioz: She does her washing-up in the middle of the night, and she whistles at the same time!
    • Trelkovsky: At what precise moment does an individual stop being who he thinks he is? Cut off my arm. I say, 'Me and my arm.' You cut off my other arm. I say, 'Me and my two arms.' You take out my stomach, my kidneys, assuming that were possible... And I say, 'Me and my intestines.' And now, if you cut off my head... would I say, 'Me and my head' or 'Me and my body'? What right has my head to call itself me? What right?
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The Tenant Trivia

  • Which film about a man who is being driven crazy by his fellow tenants in an apartment building was both directed by and starred Roman Polanski  Answer »
  • What was the name of the movie that Micheal Keaton played a very bad tenant?  Answer »
  • Hello, my name is Dr. Kate Foster, I fell in love with Alex Wyler, after I left a letter for the next tenant and it traveled back in time.  Answer »
  • The only problem with the building that the couple bought in the movie "Duplex" was:  Answer »
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