Death and the Compass is a 1992 American thriller film written and directed by Alex Cox, based on Jorge Luis Borges' 1942 short story of the same name. It stars Peter Boyle, Miguel Sandoval, and Christopher Eccleston. Mexican actress Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez also appears. The film was originally a 55-minute drama made for Spanish TV/BBC in 1992. Producer Karl Braun found further money to expand the film into a feature, but the film was not completed for four years. It was filmed on location in Mexico City. The soundtrack was composed by Dan Wool and Pray for Rain. Home media release The making of the soundtrack is discussed in a conversation between Cox and Wool on the DVD release. This also includes a 1976 original film short titled Spiderweb, which is another interpretation of the same Borges short story. National Film School graduate Paul Miller made the 33 minute drama using actor Nigel Hawthorne in one of his first screen roles. Reception Death and the Compass holds an approval rating of 17% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. External links Death and the Compass page on Alex Cox website AlexCox.com Death and the Compass on "The Garden of Forking Paths" Borges site. 1996 films Films directed by Alex Cox Adaptations of works by Jorge Luis Borges English-language Mexican films Mexican thriller drama films 1990s thriller drama films Films based on short fiction Films shot in Mexico City 1992 drama films 1992 films 1996 drama films 1990s English-language films