Diabolique

Diabolique is a 1996 American horror-mystery-thriller directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, released in March 1996 and running 107 minutes. The story centers on a private school run by a tyrannical headmaster whose cruelty extends to his students and staff alike. His wife, who suffers from a heart condition, and his mistress, a teacher at the same school, both endure his abuse. The two women join forces to plan and carry out his murder, dumping the body so it will seem he simply vanished. The scheme appears to go smoothly until the body goes missing and people around the school report having seen or spoken with the man, while a retired detective begins asking questions and the strain on the two women mounts.

Sharon Stone plays Nicole Horner, the mistress, and Isabelle Adjani appears as the wife, Mia Baran, with Chazz Palminteri as the headmaster and Kathy Bates as Det. Shirley Vogel. The screenplay is by Don Roos, and the film was produced by James G. Robinson and Marvin Worth. It was Chechik's fourth feature, following National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Benny & Joon and Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure. Made for a budget of 45 million dollars, it returned about 52 million dollars worldwide. Audiences have rated it 5.5 out of 10 on IMDb from roughly 16,000 votes, and 5.5 out of 10 on TMDB from a few hundred votes, while the critics' rating stands at 4.1 out of 10 from 31 reviews.