Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Shame

Play trailer Poster for Shame NC-17 Released Dec 2, 2011 1h 39m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 224 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Successful and handsome New Yorker Brandon (Michael Fassbender) seems to live an ordinary life, but he hides a terrible secret behind his mask of normalcy: Brandon is a sex addict. His constant need for gratification numbs him to just about everything else. But, when Sissy (Carey Mulligan), Brandon's needy sister, unexpectedly blows into town, crashes at his apartment and invades his privacy, Brandon is finally forced to confront his addiction head-on.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Shame

Shame

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Boasting stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, Shame is a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (224) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Times (UK) Follows an arc familiar from numerous other films that deal with the theme of addiction — an accelerated freefall towards rock bottom followed by self-awareness and a hint of redemption. Oct 28, 2022 Full Review Noah Berlatsky The Atlantic Shame is, indeed, a perfect distillation of the suffering-guy archetype. Aug 28, 2019 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Cleverly written and beautifully portrayed, Shame is a sensitive look at sex and addiction we've rarely seen before in film. Rated: A+ Sep 8, 2017 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz There's no doubting that it's artfully shot, but its lack of dialogue and challengingly languorous pacing will be patience-testing for many. Rated: 3.5/5 Apr 18, 2023 Full Review Wael Khairy The Cinephile Fix Steve McQueen’s painful cinematic display of loneliness in the city features acting of the highest caliber. Mar 31, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Steve McQueen’s Shame takes a nonjudgmental and uncompromising view on sex addiction. Rated: 4/4 Mar 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
BJ M Depressing. Lacks any real redeeming quality. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/24 Full Review Glafira Regina O Just no. A boring movie without a plot and morale. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/22/24 Full Review julie b Claustrophobic and bleak depiction of urban loneliness, addiction, and self loathing. Michael’s strong performance and the use of long shots to sit in the emotion are particularly impactful and help bring us into Brandon’s mind, but I wish we’d been able to further unpack his interesting character. I liked the use of interesting shots like outside of windows and the choices for no audible dialogue in certain sequences. But, overall, Shame left me wanting more in terms of plot and storytelling (despite having a killer ending!!). PS, am I the only one who found some parts funny? The tantrums, chaotic cleaning, and barking scenes had me dead. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/24 Full Review Faiz D Mesmerizing! Michael Fassbender gave a spellbinding performance. Carey Mulligan was flawless, as always, proving once again what a performer she is. A true 'masterpiece'. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/29/24 Full Review Lou M Fassbender is brilliant as always. An interesting movie that truly makes you feel what he's feeling. It's not raunchy or sexy, it heart wrenching and opens the world to understanding others challenges. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/24 Full Review J M Despite a great performance by Fassbender, who almost reveals as much emotionally as he does physically, I found this movie about sex addiction rather tedious and disappointing. It's rated NC-17 and there's no question that this is an appropriate rating. I know a film about this topic probably requires a great deal of nudity to come across authentically, and I wouldn't say the movie exploits the nudity, but it becomes a lot to handle, especially toward the end when Fassbender really begins spiraling out of control. It felt to me that the filmmakers thought they were saying a lot more than they actually were, and when it comes down to the psychology of the whole movie, I can't say I thought it was all that profound. Fassbender shares a strange and uncomfortable relationship with Mulligan, who does all she can with a one-note role. It isn't stated directly, but I came away thinking that his sexual addiction was so strong that it even made him attracted to his own sister, which is why he constantly feels a need to put up a physical distance between them. This film garnered some great notices and reviews, but I ultimately think it was more for the frank and uncensored nature of the movie rather than the content itself. It's very unsettling and I can't say I was ever bored, but I think it fell short of the impact it was trying to achieve. - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook) Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/22/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Shame

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

El perro 83% 82% El perro Watchlist Elles 22% 28% Elles Watchlist Henry & June 60% 68% Henry & June Watchlist Inserts 69% 56% Inserts Watchlist Last Tango in Paris 81% 75% Last Tango in Paris Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Successful and handsome New Yorker Brandon (Michael Fassbender) seems to live an ordinary life, but he hides a terrible secret behind his mask of normalcy: Brandon is a sex addict. His constant need for gratification numbs him to just about everything else. But, when Sissy (Carey Mulligan), Brandon's needy sister, unexpectedly blows into town, crashes at his apartment and invades his privacy, Brandon is finally forced to confront his addiction head-on.
Director
Steve McQueen
Producer
Iain Canning, Emile Sherman
Screenwriter
Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
UK Film Council, See-Saw Films, Film4, Searchlight Pictures
Rating
NC-17 (Some Explicit Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 2, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.0M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Most Popular at Home Now