Sister, Sister

"Sister, Sister" is an erotic thriller filmed on location at a stunningly atmospheric mansion in the Louisiana swampland. A handsome young traveler, Eric Stoltz, is pulled into the mysterious relationship between innkeeper sisters Judith Ivey and Jennifer Jason Leigh. At mid-mark, this somewhat subdued film tips over briefly into slasher territory, before resuming its slow burn. Among the cast, Ivey comes off best as a guarded protectress with a mysterious past.

This film is most notable for just how good it looks: Stephen M. Katz's cinematography has a warm nighttime gauziness that gradually envelops the viewer. A very elegant affair, "Sister, Sister" might have benefited from more camp eccentricity, only glimpsed briefly in Natalija Nogulich's supporting role as a nagging guest from hell. This was Bill Condon's directorial debut: he would later return to Louisiana again for the underrated horror sequel "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh."