Cissie Colpitts drowns her cheating husband and, in the ensuing cover-up, enlists the help of lonely coroner Henry Madgett, an old friend with a longstanding weakness for her charms. But when Cissie's daughter and granddaughter—both also named Cissie Colpitts—decide to resort to the same methods for solving conflicts with their own frustrating husbands, the women and their repeated appeals for help begin to wear on Madgett's conscience.
In a quaint English village, three women, all named Madgett and related by marriage, systematically drown their inconvenient husbands as a way to claim their inheritance. A curious and eccentric man, Gene, the former husband of the eldest Madgett, becomes entangled in their schemes as he attempts to solve the mystery behind the deaths, inadvertently becoming a participant in their macabre games.
Peter Greenaway's "Drowning by Numbers" was met with a mix of critical appreciation for its unique artistic style and intellectual themes, while some found its narrative deliberately obscure and its subject matter morbid. The film is often celebrated for its distinctive visual aesthetic, its playful engagement with mortality and numerology, and its strong performances, particularly from the lead actresses.
Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the film's artistic ambition and unique visual style, often finding it intellectually stimulating. However, some viewers found the plot to be too abstract or the subject matter a bit too grim.
Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.
The film prominently features the number '1' through '20' woven into the narrative and visuals, a recurring motif in Peter Greenaway's work, representing a countdown or a progression of events and deaths.
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