X
  • 1989
  • R
  • RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 1989
  • R
  • RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
  • 1 h 40 m

Summary Written in eight days on a trip to Los Angeles by first-time feature director Stephen Soderbergh, and shot in five weeks on a meager $1.2 million budget, the film tells the story of Graham (James Spader), who visits old friend John (Peter Gallager), and engages John's wife (Andie McDowell), and her sister (Laura San Giacomo) in his uniq...

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Written By: Steven Soderbergh

  • 1989
  • R
  • RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 1989
  • R
  • RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
  • 1 h 40 m

sex, lies, and videotape

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 17 Critic Reviews
must-see
86
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 78 User Ratings
7.7
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Written in eight days on a trip to Los Angeles by first-time feature director Stephen Soderbergh, and shot in five weeks on a meager $1.2 million budget, the film tells the story of Graham (James Spader), who visits old friend John (Peter Gallager), and engages John's wife (Andie McDowell), and her sister (Laura San Giacomo) in his uniq...

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Written By: Steven Soderbergh

Where to Watch

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 Critic Reviews
86
88% Positive
15 Reviews
12% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 Critic Reviews
86
88% Positive
15 Reviews
12% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Startling is the fact that a film so light on action and heavy on chat can be so achingly funny without having being crafted by a young Woody Allen.
FULL REVIEW
100
Astonishing... One of the freshest American films of the decade. [4 Aug 1989]
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 78 User Ratings
7.7
79% Positive
62 Ratings
18% Mixed
14 Ratings
3% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 78 User Ratings
7.7
79% Positive
62 Ratings
18% Mixed
14 Ratings
3% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

100
Electrifying… As writer, director and editor, [Soderbergh’s] control is mesmerizing. It's also more than a little creepy; as though Soderbergh were drawing us, a step at a time, into a warm pool where intimate secrets flowed back and forth as simply as currents of water. [4 Aug 1989, Calendar, p.6-1]
By Sheila Benson FULL REVIEW
90
What "The Big Chill" was to baby boomers, the inspirational sex, lies, and videotape is to the mall crowd. It's designer soul-searching, a looking glass for a generation.
By Rita Kempley FULL REVIEW
80
Cunningly scripted and acted, and talky in the best sense, the film is engrossing to watch but not especially interesting to ponder afterward; it's certainly an improvement on formulaic Hollywood, but on a thematic level there's still more windup than delivery.
By Jonathan Rosenbaum FULL REVIEW
75
Compulsively watchable.
FULL REVIEW
50
The first half is full of verbal and visual surprises, but the later scenes are talky and dull, as if filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had lost interest in his subject and his characters. Which would be understandable, since the story often seems more calculated than heartfelt. [4 Aug 1989, Arts, p.10]
By David Sterritt FULL REVIEW
See All 17 Critic Reviews

Details

 View All
Production Company Outlaw Productions (I), Virgin
Release Date Aug 4, 1989
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline Cine independiente USA
View All Details

Awards

Golden Globes, USA
• 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie
SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

Keith Kimbell

Which films impressed reviewers during the 2024 edition of the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival? We recap the reactions of critics to all of this year's major SXSW premieres and tell you which titles won the festival's major awards.

  • movie