8 Women is probably one of the most unique films ever made -- it's incredibly difficult to think of another movie that compares to it. The film is a black comedy/musical based on a 1958 play, starring an ensemble cast of French cinematic royalty. (Catherine Deneuve chief among them, which at least explains why this movie is a musical.) Essentially the premise is this: eight women get together for Christmas, only to discover that the family patriarch has been murdered and that each of them is a suspect. So all in all, not the best way to spend your holidays. Each woman has her own secrets and motives for committing the crime, but with so many suspicious characters milling about, the difficulty is in finding out who actually did it. (In the absence of a butler, these issues become a little bit more murky.) It's worth reiterating the fact that this is a Christmas comedy about a murder and the ladies who may or may not have killed a man -- that's kind of amazing. And the fact that it's legitimately hilarious is just icing on the cake.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
