‘To Die For’ At 25: The Fame Chasing In Gus Van Sant’s Drama Is As Toxic As Ever
To watch Nicole Kidman in Gus Van Sant’s black-comedy/thriller fusion “To Die For” is to understand how a combination of ruthless ambition and careless vapidity can spawn a self-absorbed media landscape that leads to the likes of, say, Megyn Kelly and Laura Ingraham—personalities for whom attention is more important than integrity. Twenty-five years after “To Die For” was released in the United States to rapturous reviews from praiseful critics, Kidman’s alluring villainy remains integral to the film’s portrait of a wicked woman willing to seduce and scheme her way to professional success.