Diabolique
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Where to watch: Not on major US streamers — check digital rental.
How it scared people
The vibe
Clouzot bought the Boileau-Narcejac novel out from under Hitchcock, then built a murder plot around a boarding-school swimming pool and a wife with a bad heart. The final five minutes earned an end-title card begging audiences not to spoil it — and the bathtub is still one of the two or three great jolts in cinema.
Diabolique (1955) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | No MPAA certificate (released outside the US system) |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 117 minutes |
| Jump scares | 4/5 — genuinely scary, with sustained tension and hard-hitting scares |
| Gore | 1/5 — almost no gore |
| Dread | 4/5 — heavy atmosphere — expect it to sit with you afterwards |
| Themes | psychological distress; paranoia and distrust |
Diabolique carries no MPAA certificate. We score it 4/5 for jump scares, 1/5 for gore and 4/5 for lingering dread, over 117 minutes. Very little blood — the hard part here is atmosphere and aftermath, not graphic content. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is Diabolique?
- On our intensity scale, Diabolique rates 8/10 for jump scares and 8/10 for dread. It is genuinely scary, with sustained tension and hard-hitting scares.
- How gory is Diabolique?
- Diabolique rates 2/10 for gore — expect almost no gore.
- How long is Diabolique?
- Diabolique runs 117 minutes (1h 57m).
- What is Diabolique rated?
- Diabolique has no MPAA certificate — common for films released outside the US. On our scale it rates 8/10 for jump scares, 2/10 for gore and 8/10 for dread.
- Where to watch Diabolique (1955)?
- Diabolique is not on major US subscription streamers right now — look for it on digital rental or purchase (Apple TV, Prime Video, or your usual store).
