The Return

"The past never dies. It kills."

2006 1h 25m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 667

HorrorDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Joanna Mills has a successful career but feels her personal life is spinning out of control. She has few friends, an estranged father, and a crazy ex-boyfriend who is stalking her. Joanna begins having terrifying visions of a woman's murder, and it seems that she is the killer's next target. Determined to solve the mystery and escape her apparent fate, Joanna follows her visions to the victim's hometown and finds that some secrets just do not stay buried.

“The past never dies. It kills.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Joanna Mills
Peter O'Brien
Terry Stahl
Adam Scott
Kurt
Kate Beahan
Michelle
Sam Shepard
Ed Mills
J.C. MacKenzie
Griff
Wally Welch
Snack Stand Vendor
Brad Leland
Mr. Marlin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Asif Kapadia
Writers: Adam Sussman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 80% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Asif Kapadia, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dario Marianelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Claire Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Peter O'Brien and Adam Scott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The past never dies. It kills.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Asif Kapadia directs. Roman Osin behind the camera. Dario Marianelli scores. Claire Simpson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 80% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 20 years ago.
4Directed by Asif Kapadia, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dario Marianelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Claire Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sarah Michelle Gellar and Peter O'Brien and Adam Scott carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The past never dies. It kills.".
9IMDB entry: tt0433442 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.