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Boogie Nights
New Line Cinema


8.1

based on 28 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 26 votes
Read user comments
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FILM:

BOOKS:

Rebels On The Backlot by Sharon Waxman

Internet Movie Database

MPAA RATING: R for strong sex scenes with explicit dialogue, nudity, drug use, language and violence

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Luis Guzmán, Don Cheadle, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Heather Graham

A multifaceted look at the porn industry in Los Angeles in the 70's and 80's, focusing on the journey of a young man (Wahlberg) from restaurant dishwasher to porn star and beyond.

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Paul Thomas Anderson
DIRECTED BY:	Paul Thomas Anderson
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: April 7, 1998 Video: April 7, 1998 Theatrical: October 10, 1997
RUNNING TIME:	152 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has perfectly wedded form to function by filming Boogie Nights in a style suggesting the grainy texture of porn and the ambivalence of the era.

100

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

While it's very funny, Boogie Nights taps into something much deeper with its on-target depiction of the shifting political and social tides of the '70s and '80s and thoughtful relationships between characters. It's a deeply satisfying movie.

100

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

With Boogie Nights, we know we're not just watching episodes from disparate lives but a panorama of recent social history, rendered in bold, exuberant colors.

100

The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann

If Boogie Nights were poorly made and acted, its materials would make it intolerably tawdry. But its so well done that we keep watching. [Nov. 10, 1997]

100

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

A hard-core movie with a soft, light-hearted center and an edge like a knife.

100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Mark Wahlberg, in a star-making performance, has the kind of electric ingenuousness that John Travolta did in "Saturday Night Fever."

100

USA Today Staff [Not Credited]

With its ceaseless music, large canvas, shrewd casting and flawless ensemble acting and the dexterity of its whiplashing mood switches, the movie recalls Robert Altman's "Nashville" more than any subsequent movie has.

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Has the quality of many great films, in that it always seems alive.

Film.com John Hartl

He (Anderson) simply doesn't allow for dull moments, and his gifts for irony and showmanship are clearly appreciated by a collection of actors who have rarely been better.

Variety Emanuel Levy

Darkly comic, vastly entertaining and utterly original.

Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard

That rarest of independent films -- it's risky and exciting.

TNT RoughCut Andy Jones

As lensed brillantly by 26-year-old Anderson, the movie is at once tasteful and raunchy.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

From the second it begins, Boogie Nights seizes your senses and pulls you right in: no turning back, no time for debate, no regrets.

San Francisco Examiner G. Allen Johnson

I'm not sure all of this works out as convincingly as Anderson intends in the movie's somewhat unsatisfying ending, but getting there is a wickedly enjoyable journey.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Isn't just an expose of the porn industry -- it's a provocative and involving character study, as well.

Baltimore Sun Ann Hornaday

A grand, sweeping nostalgia trip that evokes the sickness of an era even as it tries to find its essential humanity.

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

The movie's special gift happens to be Mark Wahlberg, who gives a terrifically appealing performance in this tricky role.

Newsweek B.J. Sigesmund

A stunning glimpse at acting -- and life -- in the raw.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

Notwithstanding its occasional grotesque nods to postmodernist convention, this is highly entertaining Hollywood filmmaking, full of spark and vigor.

Time Richard Corliss

So here's a tip for those attending this handsomely acted, epic-length little film. Ease into the sleaze, stare at the party animals, look but don't touch, and, oh, boogie all night. [October 6, 1997]

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A true storyteller, able to easily mix and match moods in a playful and audacious manner, he (Anderson) is a filmmaker definitely worth watching, both now and in the future.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

He (Anderson) manages to guide his cast of characters through an epic story of self-delusion with a skill and grace that many more experienced filmmakers would be hard put to match.

Film.com Tom Keogh

A film so driven by pure style that a script barely seems necessary in its first half, Boogie Nights becomes bogged down in a predictable aftermath of drug deals, post-stardom decay, cocaine-fueled nuttiness, and self-loathing.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

Moore, who may be the most unpredictably talented actress in movies right now, plays Amber with an inseparable mixture of maternal feeling and lust that's flabbergasting.

Dallas Observer Peter Rainer

It's a deeply divided film--hugely ambitious and uneven, with sequences that seem to point to a new, comically flagrant movie sexuality and others that drag one into the funky muddle of the dreariest dopehead downers from the '70s.

Slate Sarah Kerr

These late scenes are over the top, as mean and reductive as editorials in a tabloid, and they nearly extinguish the moral subtlety of what's gone before.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Heavily influenced by Quentin Tarantino's brand of quirky sensationalism, this high-energy saga by Paul Thomas Anderson goes a long way toward exposing the greed and stupidity of the pornography trade, then loses its moral compass and steers toward a sadly superficial ending.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's possible to be dazzled by a movie and still not like it very much.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 26 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

O Luc gave it a10:
Sometimes, I come back to this movie and I think about it, and I wonder, "Why isn't this movie being praised as well as othe movies of it's era, like Fargo, or Titanic?" More and more I wonder why people look more towards Quentin Tarantino then P.T. Anderson when it comes to directing, because this movie is just one of those movies that really is brought togethor by the film's atomesphere and screenplay, which were both done by Anderson. This movie is better than what many grade it to be, so if you like Robert Altman, than see Boogie Nights, the modern-day Nashville!

Keyton E. gave it a2:
Quite possibly the most overrated film of all time. I was bored to tears, which is truly unfortunate because I wanted to love this movie, and I tried to love this movie, but it's just boring.

J. Ryan G. gave it a7:
I own this movie on DVD, and I've seen it at least a half-dozen times. Still, I don't quite get what it is trying to say. Perhaps that's why I keep going back--trying to solve a magnificent puzzle. Everyone in the film is brilliant--especially William H. Macy--and a very real atmosphere is created by the throbbing music, the virtuoso camera work, and the precise editing. But I get the feeling that the writer-director, Paul Thomas Anderson, did not make a complete statement. Why tell this story? I say, enjoy the film for what it has to offer; but be aware that, unlike its main character, the film has its shortcomings.

Michael M. gave it a 10:
An excellent movie! I really enjoyed it. It was a bit disturbing at parts, but still very good. You'll notices great performances given by Burt Renyolds, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle , John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Ridgley and Alfred Molina (considering he had a very tiny role, he really did alot with it). I wasn't too thrilled about Mark Wahlberg's performance. In my opinion I don't think he is a very good actor. He always plays the same part in every film he stars in. The directing and writing in the film are absolutley outstanding. I was especially taken by the direction of the donut shop shoot out that appears about 2 hours into the movie. If you are looking for an interesting movie to watch, rent or buy Boogie Nights. Be sure to get the New Line Platinum Series. (1/23/03)

Andrew M. gave it a 5:
I was not won over by this film. I will admit there are scenes that are wholly effective and work...but the finished product is unimposing and somewhat vacuous. The film doesn't really give us anything; there is a lot promised, little delivered. For those that say it was an insight into the ropey, debauched lifestyle prevalent in the American adult industry during the 60's and 70's, just what exactly was so illuminating? What stunning revelations were shown? It all seemed to me second-hand news... drugs, parties, disco, money.... uh-huh, really, I did not know that! Anyway, I don't want to be too harsh... The film does have some redeeming qualities and is not without merit. Burt Reynolds is fantastic. He embodies his character perfectly and is impressively convincing. Graham and Moore aren't given much to work with but both do favourably. Wahlberg is as good as Wahlberg gets, which is average. The cinematography and production sets are the real high points - the film looks exactly like what it is portraying in most scenes. Very skillfully shot. But all in all, it's a film that is weaker than the sum of its parts and all the more undistinguished for it.

Jonathan M. gave it a 10:
This is a great film. What more can one want, great direction, script and acting are all in this movie. Simply wonderful.

Dan M. gave it an 8:
Burt Reynolds can act. And he is very good in this film.

Boogie Nights New Line Cinema

Boogie Nights
New Line Cinema