Poison Ivy (1992)

Drew Barrymore plays Ivy a Lolita-like teen that gradually moves in with a shy reclusive classmate Sylvie(Sara Gilbert)and the presence of the streetwise Ivy starts a chain reaction of mixed emotions. Sylvie's self destructive mother(Cheryl Ladd)is jealous of her husband's(Tom Skerritt) reaction to Ivy's seductive ways. Soon he is hooked and can't get enough of the perverse teen. Questions arise concerning the death of Sylvie's mother about the time Sylvie realizes what is going on between her father and Ivy.

My favorite scene is the sultry love making in the rain on the car hood. It is hard to tell who is seducing who. The 17 year old Barrymore is hypnotic. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Kudos to Katt Shea for directing this erotic thriller. Note: Look for a young Leonardo DiCaprio.

Fmovies: Poison Ivy has a TV film feel about it and having just watched it recently for the first time in several years I feel that she could have had more credibility if she had continued on the serious side of acting, rather than frivolous rom-coms that became her staple. Drew Barrymore never looked better than she did in this film and it's easy to see why Tom Skerritt is tempted by the teenage temptress. Sara Gilbert, who older readers may remember from Roseanne and younger readers as an occasional actress in The Big Bang Theory, plays a very good supporting role in this tight, memorable, and erotic thriller.

There is a little too much on the music playing in the background but all in all, this is a good film to kill an hour-and-a-half with, particularly as it involves Ms Barrymore at her sexy looking best in a role that she excelled in. With one quick seduction, Ivy sets off a chain reaction that makes 'Poison Ivy' one of the most provocative and erotic films, of the erotic thriller genre, filmed to date. If you somehow missed this gem, give it a look soon. It is one of those very rare films you can enjoy again and again..

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

A teenage Drew Barrymore lends her undeniable sex appeal to this otherwise unremarkable erotic thriller which uses the well-worn 'family unit threatened by a wicked interloper' plot device as an excuse to deliver loads of cheap titillation. Drew plays a sultry blonde with a troubled past who befriends socially awkward high school student Sylvie Cooper (Sara Gilbert) in order to scheme her way into her family. Sylvie is captivated by her new BFF's wild streak, unaware that the luscious lolita has designs on her father and will kill to get what she wants...

Although, on the surface, this film gives the impression of being a stylish, sexy and sophisticated thriller, with an almost noir-ish atmosphere and a cool slow-burn approach, when all is said and done, this is trash exploitation, pure and simple, as one might expect from the director of Stripped to Kill and Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls.

Not that I'm complaining, mind, since I'm a big fan of the lovely Miss Barrymore, and trashy exploitation in general, and this film gave me plenty to smile about, namely miss Barrymore in a series of very sexy get-ups.

6 out of 10, bumped up to 7 for all the gratuitous Drew!

Poison Ivy fmovies. Nabokov's Lolita used the affections of a fawning, elderly man (her stepfather) for her own purposes--which never amounted to much more than sex and cash. It only figures that today's Lolita would be dressed to kill, literally. As Drew Barrymore plays her here, she's a sexy homicidal figure with maternal delusions. "Poison Ivy" begins rather endearingly, with high school outcast Sara Gilbert (looking like the modern equivalent of a teen beatnik) befriended by a striking blonde student with lots o' leg and a fake tattoo. This wanton woman-child has no name; Gilbert calls her "Ivy" and Barrymore likes that ("It gives me the opportunity to start over," she says). The tone of the picture shifts however before the midway point, with Ivy infiltrating Gilbert's dysfunctional household and seducing dad Tom Skerritt (doing terrific work). Gilbert's narration--and the surreal jumble which becomes the hectic climax--is rather off-putting, but there's a great deal of worth in Barrymore's solid performance. The film is stylish on a low-budget and is actually steamier than "Nine 1/2 Weeks". Yet, it's really two different pictures struggling within the context of one. A stronger screenplay might've brought the two halves together, although, as the director, Katt Shea Ruben manages to come up with a commendable amount of incidents both amusing and titillating. ** from ****

Poison Ivy is a good teenage drama movie, starring Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore, who both give great performances here. Barrymore plays Ivy a young and wild teen, who lives with her aunt. When she ends up moving in with her friend, Sylvie played by Gilbert, Ivy slowly and seductively works her way into the lives of her 'new' family. The movie has some weird moments, but most of the time it's good and keeps you interested in the plot and the characters.

Poison Ivy simply tells the story of a young girl who definitely gets what she wants and even resorts to murder if needs be. All four of the main characters you can develop some feeling for, and you could even feel sorry for Drew Barrymore's Ivy, although I did feel as if sometimes some characters were simply failing to believe what was pretty obvious to everyone else.

An 18-year-old Barrymore shines in this role, and Cheryl Ladd is also very convincing.

A young Leonardo Di Caprio makes an appearance in a perfectly watchable (but also rather short) film, with good direction from the relatively unknown Katt Shea.