The Duke of Burgundy

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The Duke of Burgundy

Released Jan 23, 2015

1h 46m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

109 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Two entomologists (Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D'Anna) play ritual games of dominance and subservience.

Critics Consensus

Stylish, sensual, and smart, The Duke of Burgundy proves that erotic cinema can have genuine substance.

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Fikri

Autostraddle

What I really appreciated about the film was that it was most definitely not made for the male gaze, which was my no. 1 fear upon hearing it was yet another sexy lesbian film directed by a man.

Aug 12, 2021

Full Review

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

Beautiful, sexy, funny and tragic, with its all-women cast and sole focus on female sexuality it is clear evidence that mainstream cinema's aversion to strong women as the centre of a film is hackneyed, dull, and simply false.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 25, 2018

Full Review

Philippa Hawker

The Age (Australia)

It's a visually rich, tactile film with two beautifully observed, subtle performances at its centre.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 11, 2015

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…The Duke of Burgundy is a must see for those who like to dine off the menu, but it’s also a gorgeous curio that’s fun even for those who aren’t looking for kink….

Rated: 4/5

Aug 12, 2024

Full Review

Jordan Brooks

Vague Visages

Anchored by fantastic performances from its focal women, Chiara D’Anna and Sidse Babett Knudsen, The Duke of Burgundy was one of my more effortless choices...

Aug 1, 2023

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Paul Kanieski

KSQD Community Radio

The Duke of Burgundy is a sympathetic look at the negotiations and compromises that often need to occur in relationships after they suddenly and unexpectedly morph into something that threatens to flutter away.

Jul 26, 2023

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O g

Stultifying beyond belief. A real failure of style over substance!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Zak Z

Boring, repetitive and complete tosh!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

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Vince C

My favourite Peter Strickland movie. In his commentaries he often makes me wonder if he is in full control of his films. In this commentary he says the moths are not a metaphor. Err, I doubt if you could get a bigger metaphor - "love is like a butterfly", except when you script its every move you get cases of dead moths all in a row stabbed with pins, etc. I don't want to labour the point. The movie is meaningful and poignant and erotic, although Strickland's use of flashbacks tends to confuse the point. (the ending goes back to pre-crisis, although we already know the full story of the crisis). I suppose it's a bit like Finnegans Wake - round and round we go. Or maybe like The Night Watch which starts with dead ends and finishes with optimistic beginnings.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

Full Review

Ari V

Not terrible, but very repetitive and ultimately didn't seem like all that repetition ultimately led anywhere particularly interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

Kara F

They are selling BDSM rather hard lately huh? ( the romantic Satanists lol ) Satanism is Sadism It's a certainly atmosphere Vibe Its Trauma porn A fetish for depression ? Silly indulgent morbid morose immature Unhealthy for kids/ teens basically As a parent u must take notice of these fabricatex marketing games/ trends... Prob unhealthy for adults 2 lol #Mental Health Matters " ( Values, art, vibes too )

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

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PridePosterStudios

“Any prisoner talks back spends a night in the--” “In the box, we get it”

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/10/24

Full Review

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Peter Strickland

Director

Sidse Babett Knudsen

Cynthia

Chiara D'Anna

Evelyn

Eugenia Caruso

Dr. Fraxini

Monica Swinn

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Synopsis

Two entomologists (Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D'Anna) play ritual games of dominance and subservience.

Director: Peter Strickland
Producer: Andrew Starke
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 23, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 31, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.2K
Runtime: 1h 46m

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