

Drowning by Numbers
Three Women And A Coroner.
Cissie Colpitts drowns her cheating husband and, in the ensuing cover-up, enlists the help of lonely coroner Henry Madgett, an old friend with a longstanding weakness for her charms. But when Cissie's daughter and granddaughter—both also named Cissie Colpitts—decide to resort to the same methods for solving conflicts with their own frustrating husbands, the women and their repeated appeals for help begin to wear on Madgett's conscience.
TMDB
7.0/10
201 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $1.5M
- Box office
- $424.8K
- Language
- English
- drowning
- dark comedy
- dysfunctional family
- avant-garde
- coroner
- suffolk, england
- independent film
- experimental film
- crime comedy
- widowhood
Top billed cast














Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
Netherlands, United Kingdom
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical (limited)RNew York City, New York26 Apr 1991
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical152 Sept 1988
- Physical15Blu-Ray26 Apr 2015
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival10 Sept 1988
- PremiereCinefest Sudbury International Film Festival23 Sept 1989
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival20 May 1988
- Theatrical5 Oct 1988
HungaryHU
- Theatrical168 Mar 1991
ItalyIT
- Theatrical22 Dec 1988
NetherlandsNL
- Theatrical22 Sept 1988
SwedenSE
- Theatrical1510 Sept 1988
- PremiereGöteborg Film Festival2 Feb 1989
Frequently asked questions
Drowning by Numbers was released on 2 September 1988.
Audience reviews
1- C7/10
CinemaSerf
8/9/2023
I actually found this to be one of Peter Greenaway's more accessible films. Though it's still riddled with some surreal imagery that made little, if any, sense to me, it is quite an effective and funny look at the institution of marriage. Now the Colpitts family can't really be accused of having much imagination when it comes to naming their offspring. "Cissie" (Joan Plowright) has "Cissie" (Juliet Stephenson) who ha…
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