Caligula

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Caligula

Released Feb 1, 1980

2h 36m

Drama

History

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Popcornmeter

18%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Critics Consensus

Endlessly perverse and indulgent, Caligula throws in hardcore sex every time the plot threatens to get interesting.

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Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

If you want a turn-on, turn-off Caligula. Stay home and read Robert Graves' I, Claudius, it's much sexier.

Apr 28, 2018

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Variety Staff

Variety

Such established names as John Gielgud and Peter O'Toole will have to be seen to be believed.

Dec 8, 2007

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Caligula is sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash. If it is not the worst film I have ever seen, that makes it all the more shameful: People with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty.

Rated: 0/4

Dec 8, 2007

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Despite all the gruesomeness, the picture often borders on camp.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 10, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…it doesn’t take a lot of tinkering to ruin a film, and the much-tinkered with 1980 version of Caligula is a mess, with the guts of Vidal’s script removed, replaced by irrelevant sex, then having the sex removed, rendering the result utterly pointless…

Rated: 1/5

Jul 9, 2024

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Too dull and repellent to be a guilty pleasure.

Rated: D

Aug 30, 2022

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Jean P

Amusing, bizarre, grotesque, inimitable and hugely entertaining. This film not only stamp marks an era of Italian erotica but delivers a unique and effective interpretation of Caligula's bizarre, twisted and deeply flawed rule.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/17/25

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john w

Why is everyone so negative and prissy about this film, its hilariously over the top , camp and smutty , its clockwork orange with a different ending

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

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Aaron K

Very Silly film, sillier than most movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

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Ahmed E

A shameful, disgusting, and disgraceful picture, the filmmakers have overtly earned the contempt of so many by the exaggeration of the hardcore scenes in the film.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/03/25

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David H

This film is almost as despicable as Bob Guccione. Made my skin crawl.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/05/24

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Scott W

man oh man does this movie ever have a reputation, one of the most controversial films ever made.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

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Tinto Brass

Director

Malcolm McDowell

Caligula

Teresa Ann Savoy

Drusilla

Helen Mirren

Caesonia

Peter O'Toole

Tiberius

John Steiner

Longinus

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Director: Tinto Brass
Producer: Bob Guccione, Franco Rossellini
Screenwriter: Gore Vidal
Distributor: Analysis Film Releasing Corporation
Production Co: Penthouse Films International
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 1, 1980, Original
Runtime: 2h 36m