As premises go, it's thin: Claire is a freelance investigator for the San Luis Obispo Country Department of Social Services who finds relatives and family members of those who die alone with no known heirs. (Aside: if the count government had such investigators, they'd be working for the probate court, but never mind). Claire is assigned the case of an unidentified murder victim known only as the White Orchid who was killed in a particularly grisly way. She is only supposed to identify the victim and leave the actual murder investigation to the police. Since Claire is a brunette who immediately presents as plain, timid, and inhibited, of course she dives into not only the murder investigation, but the identity of the victim, who was a stylish and (bi)sexually uninhibited blonde bombshell.
Just because a movie's premise is thin and implausible doesn't mean the movie can't be good or even great: Hitchcock's Vertigo, which this movie alludes to several times with all the subtlety of a jackhammer tearing up concrete, seems similarly silly on paper, but delivers a great experience to its viewers in its visual style, great performances and direction, and a memorable soundtrack. White Orchid only has visual style going for it. Direction and soundtrack are undistinguished, while the performances are pretty bad, which isn't so much an annoyance as it is a puzzler, since many of these actors are capable of good or even outstanding work (an exception is Nichelle Nichols, who turns in a tiny gem of a performance as a shut-in retiree). It doesn't take long before the viewer realizes what this movie wants to be, and how far short of its goal it fell. You may stay with it for the (unfortunately predictable) plot twists, or you may turn it off before that. I stayed with it despite realizing I would be disappointed.
46 Reviews
Poor Person's "Basic Instinct"
stuart-788-67070413 July 2020
Northern California - check
Crazy women - check
Hot women - check (debatable)
Psychological thriller - Check (debatable)
Hot Lesbian Love - Check (kind of)
Crazy cop - yes
Crazy doctor - yes
Crazy insane Italian sports car - check
Terrible dialogue - CHECK
Awful wigs/disguises - check
Confusing as hell story - check check check
Femme fatale buddying you with old lady - check!
You get the drift.
You get the drift.
disappointing
catherinelaplace24 November 2018
Not worth your time
dalanik1 November 2018
Funny how this got such a high rating. This is just to show that nowdays you can't trust ratings... Very B production with very B actors with very C acting... So naive, like a 19 year old girl is investigator, then discovers something without any evidence... looks ridiculous with blonde wig and we're supposed to accept her as Femme Fatale? Oh, speaking of Femme Fatale, this is just someone trying to be Brian De Palma... but failing. So stay away. Boring...
It's Not That Bad
Foutainoflife14 November 2018
This movie is a slow burn but clever. The acting was good, it's filmed well and if you can embrace the pace of it, it will hold your attention. The script needed a bit of work but it wasn't unbearable. I've seen where some folks didn't care for the way it ended but I liked it. I'd suggest it to my friends.
loose ends? Plot twists - more like a plot derailment!
thegreatarranger10 February 2019
Don't waste your time - not a worthwhile movie.
I can not figure out how this poor attempt at a "film noir" got such a high rating. It is short (1 hr 52 min) and wanders around at the beginning then rushes the ending with what the author must have thought was a plot twist. It is so rushed it leaves loose ends laying around.
The lack of a plot leaves me to believe that it was either the first attempt at a film or was on such a low budget the production could figure how to tie off the various open ends. The climax is so poorly constructed and rushed it doesn't answer what happened.
I started watching it because I went to Cal Poly; I wanted to turn it off after 20 minutes but my wife was doing the ironing and wanted to see if there were more shots of SLO,
I can not figure out how this poor attempt at a "film noir" got such a high rating. It is short (1 hr 52 min) and wanders around at the beginning then rushes the ending with what the author must have thought was a plot twist. It is so rushed it leaves loose ends laying around.
The lack of a plot leaves me to believe that it was either the first attempt at a film or was on such a low budget the production could figure how to tie off the various open ends. The climax is so poorly constructed and rushed it doesn't answer what happened.
I started watching it because I went to Cal Poly; I wanted to turn it off after 20 minutes but my wife was doing the ironing and wanted to see if there were more shots of SLO,
C script, B- direction, inadequate lead actress
grauwulf24-85-73109410 April 2019
I am a bit loathe to criticize a young actor, but ... I know me some acting, and good for her she got job and paycheck, but Ms Thirlby does not command her part or hold up the film as lead. And together with the otherwise in several ways failed realization of a being a good modern 'noir', this movie is a failed use of budget or much of your attention. Even though the script and directing are not tops, all the other actors do their parts well. And yes, as others have stated, Ms Beals shines as always. I wonder if this is an example of using the advantage of blinded male control. Ms Thirlby openly states her bi-sexuality, and is very relaxed and natural in that onscreen. Did that unduly gain her the lead? Otherwise I can see her 'thinking' and visibly 'controlling' her acting, be a 'small' presence on screen, and not commanding as the lead detective/character. And together with her acting, hair and makeup, Ms Thirlby, contrary to the needs of plot and film, is an unconvincing blonde 'beauty' (she is a lovely person and figure in her own self). I was fascinated not because it was good.
White Orchid, Black Dahlia
Minnesota_Reid6 November 2018
This is a pretty good modern film noir. The old staple of having the detective become obsessed with the murdered woman here gets an update by having the detective be a woman as well. Olivia Thirlby (Juno) in the lead role does fine as the detective, but is less convincing when she transforms herself later on -- but perhaps her character would be less convincing in that state. John Carroll Lynch (Fargo, Zodiac) is reliable as always as the sheriff saddled with Thirlby's investigation. And there are other familiar faces from the past - Jennifer Beals, Brendan Sexton III, and Lt. Uhuru from Star Trek. All in all, if you like your film noir in color, this movie is well worth a try.
An Honest Review
generationofswine21 January 2019
It starts off kind of slow and then never really picks up.
But, the lead does a great job of appearing smug and not at all interested in actually showing up to work and acting. Her character is supposed to be shy, but really she looks bored. Very, very, very bored.
But she manages to keep that look for the duration of the film.
The good news is that I am sure it matches the viewers
But, the lead does a great job of appearing smug and not at all interested in actually showing up to work and acting. Her character is supposed to be shy, but really she looks bored. Very, very, very bored.
But she manages to keep that look for the duration of the film.
The good news is that I am sure it matches the viewers
Competent neo-Noir with some flaws
Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi21 February 2022
Already the title of the movie conveys that this is going to be a noir experience, and while the beginning seems a little inauspicious in that regard, setting us up with a mousy-looking female protagonist instead of a weary and cynical male one, as is usual for this kind of genre, it does pay off as the character undergoes an unexpected arc and the movie's intrigues get more perplexing.
The cinematography and acting is pretty solid, but not outstanding. I liked the music, and the story was not bad, even if it got quite a bit far-fetched toward the end.
My main points of criticism are that the transition from the nerdy investigator to bombshell blonde was somehow not truly convincing, and that the protagonist and especially villain's actions toward the end seemed rather preposterous. In fact, the self-congratulatory tone of the exchanges between them at the end turned me a bit off.
In addition, due to the similarity of this movie's title with the erotic film "Wild Orchid", it sets up audience expectations for steamy love scenes, of which there is just one, and by erotic film standards it is more on the tame side.
All in all, not a bad diversion, but it could have been better.
The cinematography and acting is pretty solid, but not outstanding. I liked the music, and the story was not bad, even if it got quite a bit far-fetched toward the end.
My main points of criticism are that the transition from the nerdy investigator to bombshell blonde was somehow not truly convincing, and that the protagonist and especially villain's actions toward the end seemed rather preposterous. In fact, the self-congratulatory tone of the exchanges between them at the end turned me a bit off.
In addition, due to the similarity of this movie's title with the erotic film "Wild Orchid", it sets up audience expectations for steamy love scenes, of which there is just one, and by erotic film standards it is more on the tame side.
All in all, not a bad diversion, but it could have been better.
just bad
Anastasia978 July 2019
Did they see the same film that I saw?
Red-12514 November 2018
White Orchid (2018) was written and directed by Steve Anderson. It stars Olivia Thirlby as Claire, an independent investigator who often works for the county department of social services.
A woman has been horribly butchered by someone. Of course, that's the job of the sheriff, not social services. However, in California, the law says that if there are no relatives, social services must investigate as well.
Claire takes the case, and travels to the site of the woman's death, and has access to the home she had rented. What follows next does, indeed, fall into the classic category of "girl detective." However, the way the movie plays out, there's much more to it than that.
The most striking part of the movie for me was how director Anderson and Olivia Thirlby managed Claire's transition from a quiet, almost mousy character into a highly feminine, desirable woman. Of course, Olivia Thirlby is strikingly beautiful, so the trick wasn't to make her attractive, but to make her unattractive at the beginning of the film. It couldn't have been easy, but they did it.
The movie is one of those films where at the end, you say, "OK--who was the dead woman, and who killed her? People walk out of the movie trying to make sense of it. Director Anderson was in the theater for Q&A, and he says that all the clues are there, but he wouldn't tell us the answer. (Of course he knows the answer--he wrote the script.)
OK--but even if you're not quite sure about the loose ends of the plot, the film holds your interest throughout. The California scenery is beautiful and the acting is excellent.
We saw this movie at the great Little Theatre as part of The Rochester High Falls Women's Film Festival. It won't work quite as well on the small screen, because you'll miss the glorious scenery. Even so, it's worth finding and seeing.
"What movie did they see?" This film has a terrible IMDb rating of 5.0, with 224 ratings. It's not a great movie that will be remembered forever, but it's much better than 5.0. I suggest you see it and decide for yourself.
A woman has been horribly butchered by someone. Of course, that's the job of the sheriff, not social services. However, in California, the law says that if there are no relatives, social services must investigate as well.
Claire takes the case, and travels to the site of the woman's death, and has access to the home she had rented. What follows next does, indeed, fall into the classic category of "girl detective." However, the way the movie plays out, there's much more to it than that.
The most striking part of the movie for me was how director Anderson and Olivia Thirlby managed Claire's transition from a quiet, almost mousy character into a highly feminine, desirable woman. Of course, Olivia Thirlby is strikingly beautiful, so the trick wasn't to make her attractive, but to make her unattractive at the beginning of the film. It couldn't have been easy, but they did it.
The movie is one of those films where at the end, you say, "OK--who was the dead woman, and who killed her? People walk out of the movie trying to make sense of it. Director Anderson was in the theater for Q&A, and he says that all the clues are there, but he wouldn't tell us the answer. (Of course he knows the answer--he wrote the script.)
OK--but even if you're not quite sure about the loose ends of the plot, the film holds your interest throughout. The California scenery is beautiful and the acting is excellent.
We saw this movie at the great Little Theatre as part of The Rochester High Falls Women's Film Festival. It won't work quite as well on the small screen, because you'll miss the glorious scenery. Even so, it's worth finding and seeing.
"What movie did they see?" This film has a terrible IMDb rating of 5.0, with 224 ratings. It's not a great movie that will be remembered forever, but it's much better than 5.0. I suggest you see it and decide for yourself.
Good film
bangel332224 March 2019
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I think the score of 5 is a little harsh. It was a better idea than execution. For me, there was a decent build up of intensity and intrigue, but once we found out the killers motive, for me that fell really flat. After all that, I expected something amazing, but I was like, 'oh ok'. Some parts of the film needed a bit more depth, some characters were just randomly placed. Her friend and her neighbour needed more substance. But overall I enjoyed it. The very end was good
Don't bother
msjessica-6749321 January 2019
Hard to believe
fmwongmd29 December 2018
Claire Decker: Crime Solver
lavatch5 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
In Claire Decker, there was a strong central character who sustained the action in investigating the mysterious death of a dynamic woman named Jessica.
Claire made clever use of disguises in her quest to locate Jessica's killer. But in dressing up like Jessica, using her lipstick and perfume, Claire also was enjoying experiencing a fetish that could endanger her due to forces she cannot control.
Some of the best scenes occurred in the chic Rex Hotel bar in San Francisco. It is there that Claire encounters a woman who appears to be a distraction, and their cavorting leads them to a night club and then to a hotel room to spend the night together. That sequence figures prominently in unlocking the secret life led by Jessica.
There was some great location footage of San Francisco, as well as a fine supporting cast. Even the small roles, such as the wise Theresa and the kind young man who safeguards Claire's suitcase were well detailed.
There was a riveting climax in an extended, intense one-on-one conversation, as well as an imaginative denouement in which the astute investigator Claire apparently discovers that she had been outfoxed.
Claire made clever use of disguises in her quest to locate Jessica's killer. But in dressing up like Jessica, using her lipstick and perfume, Claire also was enjoying experiencing a fetish that could endanger her due to forces she cannot control.
Some of the best scenes occurred in the chic Rex Hotel bar in San Francisco. It is there that Claire encounters a woman who appears to be a distraction, and their cavorting leads them to a night club and then to a hotel room to spend the night together. That sequence figures prominently in unlocking the secret life led by Jessica.
There was some great location footage of San Francisco, as well as a fine supporting cast. Even the small roles, such as the wise Theresa and the kind young man who safeguards Claire's suitcase were well detailed.
There was a riveting climax in an extended, intense one-on-one conversation, as well as an imaginative denouement in which the astute investigator Claire apparently discovers that she had been outfoxed.
Oh dear
vmm-446288 November 2018
This movie had potential, a lot of really good actors and actresses except for the main female Olivia Thirlby, such bad acting, such a shame they couldn't find someone that could do the part justice. Needless to say you will never remember her or see her in anything with substance.
claire tries to solve the murder
ksf-216 June 2022
With some similarities to the actual black dahlia case from the 1940s, which was never solved.... this was written and directed by steve anderson. Claire (olivia thirlby) is sent to a small town on the coast to investigate the murder of a young, un-identified single woman. When she meets the local sheriff (john lynch, who we know from fargo), she doesn't trust him, and realizes she is on her own. Some fun roles for well known faces... jennifer beals is vivian. Nichelle nichols (lieutenant uhura !) is teresa, friend of the deceased woman. It's okay. It's a little more melodramatic than it needs to be, and the wigs and make-up claire uses make her look like a drag queen. And we really didn't need to spend so long watching the band in the bar about an hour in... that kind of took away from the noir feeling of the story. The first three quarters of the film run in a straight forward fashion, but the ending feels like it was an extra big twist ending , or maybe changed around from what it was originally. Confusing. Produced in association with the humphrey bogart estate. Anderson seems to be employed or partnered with santana productions, which was also the name of bogart's boat. As of today, this is the last project listed for anderson. He also directed the big empty, which is good but also has an odd, mysterious ending. Seems to be his specialty.
Terrible acting. Bad movie
andyny-188171 January 2019
Watch The White Orchid, Twice!
dtick-835518 January 2022
Claire Decker is a character that slowly becomes "The Killer", in appearance only. She must find the true killer, identity search takes second in the investigation. She is much more intelligent than the local police authorities and discovers carefully hidden clues and plot McGuffins that send the film in more than one direction.
Olivia, the star, is more than up for the part of Claire and I hope to see her again...as Claire. Frankly, I don't know which one of the "five" killers she metamorphosis's into I like the best. The only down side is Claire being pegged as a lesbian, whereas Jessica is all over the place.
I truly wish we could see "Claire/Olivia" again. San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Jessica's rental and San Francisco co me off extremely well. My hat's off to the Cinematographer.
Olivia, the star, is more than up for the part of Claire and I hope to see her again...as Claire. Frankly, I don't know which one of the "five" killers she metamorphosis's into I like the best. The only down side is Claire being pegged as a lesbian, whereas Jessica is all over the place.
I truly wish we could see "Claire/Olivia" again. San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Jessica's rental and San Francisco co me off extremely well. My hat's off to the Cinematographer.
very hackneyed
sandcrab2776 October 2021
I'm a bit confused by the sheriff's uniform ... he wears sgt stripes on his sleeve and 4 stars on his collar ... you can fool some of the people but not all ... this film is so stupid i really didn't want to review it ... it appears as if the writer came up with a cool title and tried to fabricate a story to fit it... it definitely isn't worth the 5 minutes it took to write this.
Ignore the reviews--they're all over the place anyway
scott-16573 January 2019
Just watch the movie. It's less than 90 mins. Make up your own mind. One gauge of mine is how many times I check my phone while watching a film on premium tv. Just once during this film so it certainly had my attention.
Yikes
jared-9551727 October 2021
Bad acting. Terribly corny dialogue. The smugness of the main character makes her unlikable. She starts off shy and then unconvincingly becomes very self-satisfied. I like dynamic characters in movies but this just didn't work. The corny dialogue between two smug characters towards the end was just dreadful. You shouldn't be able to so clearly see what a movie is trying to be. It's sort of like talking to someone who is clearly trying to be cool.
They tried but used the wrong cameras
rustybarkeeper5 November 2021
Pretentious
nightroses9 July 2021
This is one of those films that is trying to hard to be arty but comes across as boring. It doesn't make any sense at all. The lead character is dull. I can't believe I watched this all the way to the end. Snail races are much more exciting than this.
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