Hideous Kinky

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Hideous Kinky

R

Released Apr 26, 1998

1h 37m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Unsatisfied with her life in England, young mother Julia (Kate Winslet) relocates to Morocco with her small daughters, Lucy (Carrie Mullan) and Bea (Bella Riza). Although the family enjoys various adventures, they struggle to make ends meet. As their carefree mother relies on good fortune and new boyfriends for financial support, the girls find surrogate father figures in the kindly con artist Bilal (Saïd Taghmaoui) and the dapper European Santoni (Pierre Clémenti).

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

The fusion of dream sequences and evocative landscapes makes the characters' feverish sense of living at the edge of reality contagious.

Apr 27, 2012

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Kate Winslet, luscious in a brilliantly colored caftan and flushed from the heat of an African sun, makes a beautiful hippie, circa 1972, in Hideous Kinky.

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Lisa Nesselson

Variety

Kate Winslet continues an uninterrupted line of fine performances with the modest yet affecting Hideous Kinky.

Mar 26, 2009

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George Fenwick

The Post NZ

Winslet is unsurprisingly astounding in the role, which takes an interesting look at the often-privileged idealism of English people who sought enlightenment in so-called "exotic" places.

Aug 27, 2021

Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide

The film's gradual slide into a darker vision of the casual selfishness and presumption that often lay at the heart of Westerners' mind-bending journeys to the East is subtle and quietly devastating.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 27, 2012

Full Review

Film4

It presents a dull life amid colourful surroundings.

Apr 27, 2012

Full Review

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Simon O

False advertising. Nothing hideous. Nothing kinky.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Scott M

A 23 year old dreamy looking Kate Winslet. The spectacular Moroccan cinematography. Absolutely no story whatsoever. So much potential wasted.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Kate Winslet is very good here being a mother with two daughters in a foreign land abandoning her English privileged idealism With the prospect of no money and no husband she makes her way as best she can in Marrakesh 1972 finding some spiritual enlightenment Beautiful scenery and a worthy performance by Winslet herself makes a very uncompromising impression

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

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Audience Member

The only reason for one and a half stars was the fact that Kate Winslet starred in it!!!

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Frances H

Interesting and well acted. Both of the children in particular, were very appealing. Haven't read the Esther Freud book, but just may, after seeing this film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/14

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Audience Member

bleh. turned it off half way thru

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

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Gillies MacKinnon

Director

Kate Winslet

Julia

Said Taghmaoui

Bilal

Bella Riza

Bea

Carrie Mullan

Lucy

Pierre Clémenti

Santoni

The Governess

65%

49%

The Governess

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Jude

80%

73%

Jude

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Agnes Browne

41%

71%

Agnes Browne

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Nil by Mouth

79%

87%

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Synopsis

Unsatisfied with her life in England, young mother Julia (Kate Winslet) relocates to Morocco with her small daughters, Lucy (Carrie Mullan) and Bea (Bella Riza). Although the family enjoys various adventures, they struggle to make ends meet. As their carefree mother relies on good fortune and new boyfriends for financial support, the girls find surrogate father figures in the kindly con artist Bilal (Saïd Taghmaoui) and the dapper European Santoni (Pierre Clémenti).

Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Producer: Ann Scott
Screenwriter: Esther Freud, Billy MacKinnon
Distributor: Stratosphere Entertainment
Production Co: L Films, Greenpoint Films, Film Consortium
Rating: R (Language|Some Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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