"Indecent Proposal": The Bold Robert Redford Film You'll Want to Watch Again and Again

On September 16, 2025, Robert Redford passed away — the Hollywood legend, actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Festival. He was 89 years old. Looking back at his filmography, it's impossible to overlook the most audacious film of the '90s — "Indecent Proposal" (1993).

The film that divided audiences, brought a moral experiment to the screen, and gave us Redford in an unexpected role as a seductive billionaire.

What the film's about

A young married couple (Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson) find themselves in financial trouble and head to Las Vegas looking for luck. Enter John Gage (Redford) — wealthy, charming, and unsettlingly calm. His deal sounds simple: a million dollars for one night with Diana.

From this moment, the story becomes a test of marriage's strength and a frank conversation about what feelings, loyalty, and human dignity are really worth.

Critical and audience scores

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has just 34% fresh, while on IMDb it's 6.0/10. Critics were split:
  • Chicago Reader on Metacritic: "Formulaic script, but Redford's playing Jay Gatsby again — and that's the strength".
  • Chicago Sun-Times on Metacritic: Roger Ebert called the film "ingenious camouflage around a tawdry theme".
  • TV Guide on Metacritic: "Absurd and gripping at the same time — a mix of horror and delight".
  • The New York Times: "Doesn't reveal new truths, but keeps viewers glued to the screen".
But Variety and USA Today were ruthless: "Big concept, weak execution" and "A boring film that doesn't even make you want to get outraged".
Indecent Proposal trailer
Audiences, however, argued just as fiercely. Some complained about "flat characters" and an "implausible ending," while others raved about the visual luxury, Moore's charisma at her career peak, and the fact that Redford himself dared to play "the devil with a checkbook."

Why the film works

Yes, the script is full of absurdities, and director Adrian Lyne sometimes gets bogged down in glossy imagery. But it's precisely this "glossiness" that made the film iconic. This isn't about what would really happen in life. It's about every viewer leaving the theater with the same question: "Would I have said yes?"
Actor Robert Redford in a white shirt and glasses smiling, on the right actress Demi Moore in a black dress
Scenes from Indecent Proposal
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Redford here isn't just a romantic hero. He's temptation, seduction, the very system where money gets measured against feelings. And honestly, who could have more convincingly played a billionaire whose offer is hard to refuse? Even those who criticized the film admitted: Redford's charisma outweighs all the script's flaws.

Today the film also looks like a bold experiment in Robert's career. A man we're used to seeing in noble hero roles, but who wasn't afraid to play someone who destroys families with one stroke of a pen on a check.

"Indecent Proposal" isn't perfect, but it hooks and provokes. And that's the best way to remember Redford: handsome, daring, capable of giving audiences a story they want to discuss for decades. Earlier on zoomboola.com we told you about "The Waterboy": Sandler's craziest '90s film.