A Kiss Before Dying is a 1991 American romantic thriller film directed by James Dearden and based on Ira Levin's 1953 novel of the same name, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The film stars Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, and Diane Ladd. It follows an ambitious young man (Dillon) who murders his pregnant girlfriend and assumes a false identity to seduce her twin sister, aiming to marry into a wealthy family.