This 41-Year-Old Neo-Noir Thriller Is One of Glenn Close's Most Underrated Movies
It tells the tense, smart and morally ambiguous story of a female attorney who breaks the most important rule of professional ethics.
In 1985, two years before Glenn Close received her Oscar nomination for Fatal Attraction, she starred in a legal thriller which has since been unfairly forgotten.
Jagged Edge, directed by Richard Marquand and written by Joe Eszterhas, who would later achieve fame as the writer of Basic Instinct, is a classic neo-noir film.
While the movie received positive reviews at the time, it has since been overshadowed by Close's more high-profile projects.
What Is 'Jagged Edge' About?
Following the brutal murder of socialite Page, her husband Jack Forrester – charming, wealthy and impeccably calm – becomes the prime suspect. All the evidence points to him.
Experienced lawyer Teddy is confident of her client's innocence and takes on his defence. The more she immerses herself in the case, however, the more suspicious evidence she encounters, along with doubts and, most dangerously of all, her own passionate feelings for Jack.
Love is blind, but even besotted with Jack, Teddy cannot turn a blind eye to the accumulating oddities.
'Jagged Edge' Is Worth Watching if Only for the Duel of Charm and Suspicion Between Glenn Close & Jeff Bridges
Jagged Edge rests on two pillars: a tense script and cast. Glenn Close gives one of her strongest early performances as Teddy, an intelligent, insightful and confident woman who gradually allows her emotions to overwhelm her reason.
Close masterfully portrays the internal conflict between professional pride and cold analysis of the facts, and blind faith in a man she may only be protecting because she is in love.
Jeff Bridges is a true enigma as Jack – his character is so charming, calm and believable that you will constantly change their minds about his guilt.
Together, Close and Bridges create the iconic onscreen duo that made Eszterhas' thrillers famous.
'Jagged Edge' Is a Return to the Classic Legal Thriller
The atmosphere of Jagged Edge evokes the best examples of the genre, particularly Alan J. Pakula's Klute, starring Jane Fonda. Incidentally, Fonda was originally set to star in Jagged Edge, but dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the script.
Jagged Edge is a slow, viscous investigation with ambiguous dialogue and an ever-growing sense of unease. Director Richard Marquand clearly loves multi-layered conflicts and exploring characters' moral ambiguities, and this is evident in his narrative.
Even if you manage to anticipate the final twist, you'll still likely find yourself drawn into the story.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Jagged Edge'?
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Jagged Edge has 79% from critics and 59% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.5/10.
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On Letterboxd, Jagged Edge scored 3.2/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Jagged Edge'?
Jagged Edge is available to stream on Tubi.
