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Shame

Play trailer Poster for Shame NC-17 2011 1h 39m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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.
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Shame

Shame

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 10/28/2022
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. Go to Full Review
Noah Berlatsky The Atlantic 08/28/2019
Shame is, indeed, a perfect distillation of the suffering-guy archetype. Go to Full Review
Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online 09/08/2017
A+
Cleverly written and beautifully portrayed, Shame is a sensitive look at sex and addiction we've rarely seen before in film. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Jul 28
4/5
Throughout the movie, the camera and point-of-view rarely leaves Fassbender and we are privy to watching this clash of emotions and habits. Go to Full Review
James Croot The Post NZ 04/18/2023
3.5/5
There's no doubting that it's artfully shot, but its lack of dialogue and challengingly languorous pacing will be patience-testing for many. Go to Full Review
Wael Khairy The Cinephile Fix 03/31/2023
Steve McQueen’s painful cinematic display of loneliness in the city features acting of the highest caliber. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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rsderek81 @rsderek81 Nov 15 Hard to watch at times, but a powerful mirror to all of us who have dealt with trauma and addiction See more Alain E @AlainE Oct 22 This is an unequal enterprise. Visually, as we should expect from a director with a career in fashion, it is superb, especially the low light scenes. Very good music as well. The actors interpret well the material given to them. The script has flaws. A similar movie to reference is American Psycho which is very solidly built. Here the main character is obsessed about sex in a way that doesn’t always make sense. He has as outlet online porn, actual prostitutes and frequent masturbation. When he offers hospitality to his sister she catches him masturbating in the bathroom. Of course when only two people share a small apartment and one is clearly in the apartment but not visible you have to assume that he is in the bathroom and knock before you enter. Anyway the intrusion makes him to attempt a relationship with an attractive coworker, but when with performance anxiety he cannot have intercourse he withdraws with shame and the woman who until that point appeared caring dresses and leaves. There is a mysterious alluring married woman in the subway, who somehow happens to be in the same car many days who maybe the next goal. As I said, enjoy the surface but don’t try to analyze the character. See more David R Sep 28 It was a very sad movie and hard to watch. Good acting, and good directing. See more Ricardo S Sep 23 A devastating film that shows us the fragility and complexity of people and their addictions. See more Gareth v Aug 7 Shame is a haunting, emotionally raw character study that explores addiction, isolation, and the pursuit of pleasure. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 24 Success in 1 hour and 39 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated NC-17 for Some Explicit Sexual Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $4,000,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
Shame

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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
Searchlight Pictures, UK Film Council, Film4, See-Saw Films
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
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