Exotica

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Exotica

R

Released Mar 3, 1994

1h 44m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In the upscale Canadian strip club Exotica, Christina (Mia Kirshner) is the most popular dancer, and she's visited nightly by the obsessive Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a depressed tax auditor. Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend, the club's MC, Eric (Elias Koteas), still jealously pines for her, even as he introduces her onstage. Eric is having his own relationship problems with the club's owner, Zoe (Arsinée Khanjian), who is intent on becoming pregnant with his child.

Critics Consensus

Exotica simmers with sex and obsession, while successfully doubling as an extreme character study.

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

For all the initial mysteriousness of virtually everyone’s actions, Atom Egoyan is never coy for the sake of being coy.

Sep 22, 2022

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

A central part of the movie's dreamlike ambience derives from the fact that the camera is in motion in practically every shot.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 7, 2022

Full Review

Robert Horton

Film Comment Magazine

Atom Egoyan makes his most conventionally-satisfying film in Exotica. I don't mean that as a putdown: it's his best movie, too, though some of his early academic-theory fans may be put off at its accessibility.

Apr 10, 2018

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Ray Pride

Newcity

The mood is relentless; the gears spark and grind quietly, but spectacularly... The essence... is damage, unexamined, and the pulse of trauma washing ashore.

Rated: 9/10

Feb 13, 2025

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

As an exploration of trauma and heartbreak, Exotica plumbs the depths of the human heart in ways most films have never dared.

Apr 25, 2023

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

It is not a film about sex, but about the emotional impact, a setting provides with its cathartic assistance in healing trauma.

Feb 14, 2023

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Muriel W

This movies is porn trying to disguise itself as something else. It is a bore. I object to sex workers dressing up like children. It's a very bad thing to do.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

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Georgan G

This plot is completely amazing in how the characters lives are shown to intersect. But not until the very end of the movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/21/24

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Richard D

Boring. Dull. Bland characters with rediculious relationships.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/18/24

Full Review

Shioka O

I don't think I fully understood what the director wanted to tell through this film but I appreciated the ambiguousness and atmosphere. Look sexual or erotic on surface, but its not.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

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Alec B

A beguiling mystery that demands complete attention. I wish more movies were this willing to challenge audience perception.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

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Martin F

Exotica feels like an erotic thriller despite being a drama due to his direction that really brings the tension. It is engaging due to his multidimensional characters who all slowly descent to madness while little by little interacting with each other. There is also some strong and thought-provoking dialogues. Mia Kirshner is electrical in her role, she has a huge sex-appeal here.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Atom Egoyan

Director

Bruce Greenwood

Francis Brown

Mia Kirshner

Christina

Don McKellar

Thomas Pinto

Arsinée Khanjian

Zoe

Elias Koteas

Eric

54

15%

30%

54

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Synopsis

In the upscale Canadian strip club Exotica, Christina (Mia Kirshner) is the most popular dancer, and she's visited nightly by the obsessive Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a depressed tax auditor. Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend, the club's MC, Eric (Elias Koteas), still jealously pines for her, even as he introduces her onstage. Eric is having his own relationship problems with the club's owner, Zoe (Arsinée Khanjian), who is intent on becoming pregnant with his child.

Director: Atom Egoyan
Producer: Robert Lantos, Camelia Frieberg, Atom Egoyan
Screenwriter: Atom Egoyan
Distributor: Miramax Home Entertainment [us], Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax Films, Alliance Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 3, 1994, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jun 19, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.0M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo