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Boxing Helena
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Metascore
26 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 14 Critics What's this?

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  • Starring: Julian Sands, Sherilyn Fenn
  • Summary: Fantasy and desire are unleashed in this haunting, erotic tale of love, lust and obsession. Nick Cavanaugh (Sands) is a brilliant surgeon who seems to have it all -- money, prestige, looks -- everything except Helena (Fenn), a voluptuous, cold-hearted seductress. After a one-night stnad with Nick, she refuses his advances, but he continues to pursue her. When Helena is in a tragic accident in front of Nick's mansion, he takes her into his tome, imprisons her and transforms her into his own version of the mythic Venus. Gradually, they are both forced to confront their inner demons in torrid scenes filled with passion, voyeurism and psycho-sexual torment...all building to a shocking, not-to-be-missed conclusion. (MGM)… Expand
  • Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
  • Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance
  • Rating: NC-17
  • Runtime: 107 min
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 14
  3. Negative: 9 out of 14
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Gene Siskel
    75
    Not as worthless as you may have heard. [10 Sept 1993]
    All this critic's reviews
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Elvis Mitchell
    60
    Ultimately, Ms Lynch has nowhere to take her erotic parable except to a dead end, but she makes the unfolding of the story a spooky, engrossing process. [9 Sept 1993, p.C1]
    All this critic's reviews
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Michael Gingold
    30
    Lynch's fatal flaw is in her handling of the leads. Sands is made to play his single-minded romantic as a spineless, groveling wimp, while Helena is a one-note ice queen for more than half the movie, never reacting realistically to her predicament. The characters are so lacking in dimension and unsympathetic that it's hard to care about them or their story.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. TonyP
    8
    This movie goes places that most filmmakers don't want to go. I'll let you decide whether it's a good or bad thing. It is truly a weird and very memorable film with excellent performances from Fenn and especially Julian Sands.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. Whitneymuse
    8
    A movie filled with irony; So, good; I still remember it today.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 3 User Reviews

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