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An Imperfect Murder

An Imperfect Murder

Truth comes at a price.

201771 minRMidcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Director
James Toback
Starring
Sienna Miller, Alec Baldwin, Charles Grodin, Colleen Camp

Successful actress Vera Lockman thrashes during a nightmare in which she struggles with, shoots and kills her drug-dealer ex-boyfriend. Jolted awake, she reveals in her journal that the killing actually occurred the day before and that Sal, dead, lies in a trunk in her living room.

Where to watch

Where can I watch An Imperfect Murder?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists An Imperfect Murder streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about An Imperfect Murder?

An Imperfect Murder earns 2 badges, led by Overhyped and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

Reception

Is An Imperfect Murder worth watching?

An Imperfect Murder's Midcredits score is the 5th percentile of all films, from 3.4K ratings across 4 sources. 23% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

5th percentile

Better received than 5% of films

3rd percentile among Drama6th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)2nd
Approval (how many liked it)12th

36 /100

2nd percentile of all films

1st percentile among Drama3rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

23% liked it

12th percentile of all films

8th percentile among Drama12th percentile among 2010s
23% rated it 7–1077% rated it 1–6

Critics 40% · Audience 11%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

75th percentile

3.4K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Drama77th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 40% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a short, talky, art-house-styled piece that relies heavily on dialogue and music, often at the expense of conventional plot.

Fans praised

  • compelling opening paintings and music
  • Baldwin, Grodin interesting and unique casting
  • dialogue believable and occasionally excellent

Detractors panned

  • empty, boring, no drama despite thriller promise
  • annoying loud music drowns long stretches
  • pretentious split-screen and pointless narration

What stands out

ActingDivisive56

decent-to-good performances, especially Grodin, Miller, Baldwin

OriginalityDivisive55

avant-garde, non-chronological, art-film aspirations

CharactersDivisive35

wasted talent, grating Toback character, Miller's character without a point of view

Sound and musicDivisive35

loud music dominates, sometimes compelling

DialogueDivisive30

wordy, disjointed, pretentious, though sometimes believable

Plot and storyDivisive19

thinnest of stories, barely discernible, overlong short

PacingDivisive15

brief but feels overlong, draggy scenes

Tension10

no thrills despite thriller label

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is An Imperfect Murder like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something dark that stays with you.

It takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadContemplative
Heaviest: early
Dry humor
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its grim subject with heavy earnestness, with long stretches of music creating a brooding atmosphere.
The rideThe tension and dread are highest at the onset with the nightmare and discovery of the body, then the mood stabilizes into contemplative paranoia during the cover-up.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the nightmare/murder through the cover-up to the confrontation with the detective.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film aims to leave the viewer with the uneasy, lingering feeling of living with a terrible secret.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe actress must confront the reality of having committed a murder, with her own guilt and the investigating detective as the obstacles.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGuiltMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Guilt · 3% of filmsTrauma · 7% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe narrative centers on an actress grappling with the possibility that she committed murder, exploring her psychological burden of guilt and the layers of deception she constructs.
StanceThe film focuses narrowly on Vera's psychological struggle, questioning rather than resolving her guilt and truth.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticIn transitRealistic
AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingNew York City: an actress's loft, a trunk in transit to a lake, and police interrogation

Content guide

Is An Imperfect Murder okay for kids?

R

An Imperfect Murder is rated R.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaM
  • New ZealandM
  • Netherlands14
  • Sweden15

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does An Imperfect Murder have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in An Imperfect Murder?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Sienna Miller
as Vera Lockman
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alec Baldwin
as Detective McCutcheon
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Charles Grodin
as Arthur
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Colleen Camp
as Elaine Lockman
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
John Buffalo Mailer
as Leon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Nick Mathews
as Sal
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Steven Prescod
as Carl
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Oliver 'Power' Grant
as Rameesh
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Carl Icahn
as Self

Crew

More like this

What are movies like An Imperfect Murder?

Movies like An Imperfect Murder include Boy Wonder (2010), The Woman in the Window (2021) and The Dutchman (2025). Of the 6 closest matches, most are films set in New York, and two are films about deception.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 6 share its character type: hunter and hunted. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with An Imperfect Murder?

774 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: police officer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.