Shortbus

Name: Shortbus
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: October 4, 2006
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Adam Hardman, David Pittu, Jeff Whitty, Lindsay Beamish, Mickey Cottrell

2006

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 89 Ratings

See All

7.3

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.3	Your Score
7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 89 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Shortbus (Trailer 2)

Now Playing: Shortbus (Trailer 2)

Movie Details & Credits

THINKFilm | Release Date: October 4, 2006 | Not Rated

Starring: Adam Hardman, David Pittu, Jeff Whitty, Lindsay Beamish, Mickey Cottrell, Paul Dawson, Peter Stickles, PJ DeBoy, Raphael Barker, Sook-Yin Lee

Summary: John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus explores the lives of several emotionally challenged characters as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex in and around a modern-day underground salon. The characters converge on a weekly gathering called Shortbus: a mad nexus of art, music, politics and polysexual carnality.John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus explores the lives of several emotionally challenged characters as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex in and around a modern-day underground salon. The characters converge on a weekly gathering called Shortbus: a mad nexus of art, music, politics and polysexual carnality. Set in a post-9/11, Bush-exhausted New York City, Shortbus tells its story with sexual frankness, suggesting new ways to reconcile questions of the mind, pleasures of the flesh and imperatives of the heart. [ThinkFilm]… Expand

Director: John Cameron Mitchell

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 101 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Keith Phipps

Developed by Mitchell and the actors, the characters don't always seem consistent from moment to moment, but a sharp sense of humor and comfortable performances by a committed and--it must be said--remarkably limber cast help smooth over the rough edges. Read full review

Peter Travers

If there is such a thing as hard-core with a soft heart, this is it. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Maitland McDonagh

A darkly comic trifle that follows in the footsteps of such films as Catherine Breillat's "Romance" (2000), "The Brown Bunny" (2003) and Michael Winterbottom's "9 Songs" (2004) by incorporating hard-core sex into a nonpornographic narrative. Read full review

Marrit Ingman

The quest for sexual happiness is a radical notion in these repressive times, as well as a legitimate basis for storytelling, but Shortbus doesn't quite delve as deeply as it ought into its characters' emotions. Read full review

Mark Olsen

Though it flirts with the hard-core, there is something strangely flaccid about Shortbus, a ragged, uneven quality that, however purposeful, makes it feel less than fully formed. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

The film lacks the depth and discipline of Mitchell's first film venture, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which makes Shortbus a real disappointment. Read full review

Ruthe Stein

Mitchell may be another Russ Meyer -- a dubious honor -- but he's no Tony Kushner. Read full review

SEE ALL 27 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Craig

Dec 15, 2006

Quite simply amazing. A worthy successor to Hedwig & The Angy Inch and so much more. It's funny, it's sad, it's poignant. If you focus on the sex you're missing the whole point: focus on the film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

GinaN.

Apr 19, 2007

Nothing like I've ever seen. Pretty brilliant, actually.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

ScottF.

Aug 2, 2007

The wild and varied range of reactions elicited by this movie demonstrate that it does indeed strike a chord. Watch it and be moved.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

MarkusH.

Oct 20, 2006

A naively joyful film that celebrates sex instead of using it as a commodity or strictly for prurient interest. Go see this movie!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JayF

Jan 19, 2008

Going into this, I knew it was a very sexual movie. I assumed it would be like a porno. I admit, the sex scenes were basically soft-core porn. However, this, remarkably, did not hamper the quality of the movie. This movie is about human connection, and how these emotionally unbalanced Going into this, I knew it was a very sexual movie. I assumed it would be like a porno. I admit, the sex scenes were basically soft-core porn. However, this, remarkably, did not hamper the quality of the movie. This movie is about human connection, and how these emotionally unbalanced people eventually come to terms with everything. The large cast of characters makes it that much more fun. There's many touching scenes in this film. Like when the old man is talking to Ceth and he begins to cry. The kiss Ceth gives him is so not sexual, and it's actually touching. Or when Jamie and James look at each other through the window, and without even saying a word, achieve their peace. My favorite character has to be Severin though. She is the one who is the most misguided, and I don't think she ever truly find her way. But she becomes okay with it. This movie is a work of comic, dramatic, and, dare I say it, romantic greatness. I loved it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Broyax

Jul 2, 2019

Difficile de juger ce genre de film à la croisée des chemins de la comédie et de la pornographie... Mais apparemment, il est simplement qualifié d'érotique (?) alors que l'une de ses qualités réside... dans la qualité de ses quelques scènes pornograhiques. Appelons donc un chat, un chat etDifficile de juger ce genre de film à la croisée des chemins de la comédie et de la pornographie... Mais apparemment, il est simplement qualifié d'érotique (?) alors que l'une de ses qualités réside... dans la qualité de ses quelques scènes pornograhiques. Appelons donc un chat, un chat et une chatte, une chatte. Et tout le reste viendra naturellement.

Donc, plutôt un bon porno en fait. Mais est-ce vraiment le cas ? car le réalisateur balance toutes ses cartouches au début et nous laisse sur la béquille à la fin, euh je veux dire sur notre faim, car le cul devient bien plus rare, quel dommage !

Le film se perd en effet dans le drame psychologique à la petite semaine avec ses homos dépressifs ainsi que son côté "peace and love" de bisounours progressiste. En même temps, toute la galerie des névropathes est illustrée ici avec le maso, le branleur, la sado, le voyeur, et la fille à voile et à vapeur mais toujours peine-à-jouir. Et tout ce petit monde se retrouve au "Shortbus", le bar à partouzes. Pour forniquer et mater. Et pérorer aussi.

Le côté comique est certes bien présent avec précisément la sexologue à la recherche de l'orgasme perdu... c'est quelque chose ! Un mélange bizarre, donc, de porno et de pathos, plus ou moins drôle... ou pathétique. Un peu court tout cela mais certainement audacieux.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Dave

Jan 12, 2007

One of the worst movies I've seen this year. I really like "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", but this film was just too pretentious and over the top for me.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SEE ALL 41 REVIEWS

100	#100 Most Discussed Movie of 2006
8	#8 Most Shared Movie of 2006