Shame (2011)
81%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 50 wins & 94 nominations total
Boasting stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, Shame is a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction
Shame is like that one friend who always brings the mood down at a party. Sure, it’s well-made and acted, but it’s a total bummer. The movie is basically just a guy who can’t stop having sex and feeling bad about it. It’s like, dude, just go to therapy or something. The only redeeming quality is that Michael Fassbender is really good at looking sad and sexy at the same time. Overall, I’d say skip this one unless you’re in the mood to feel really depressed.
Production Company(ies)
Lost Boys of Sudan National Geographic Films, Silver Nitrate Pictures,
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
28th Street Subway Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 39m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 17, 2012
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $19,123,767
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $24,654,828
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,630
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,688,640
US/Canada gross: $3,909,002
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,039,581
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,811
US/Canada opening weekend: $361,000
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $465,410
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,427
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $8,379,959
Production budget ranking: 1,735
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,512,608
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,762,261
ROI to date (est.): 91%
ROI ranking: 972
Maggie Cheung – Su Li-zhen
Kelly Lai Chen – Mr. Ho
Rebecca Pan – Mrs. Suen
Ping Lam Siu – Ah Ping
Tsi-Ang Chin – Amah
Director(s)
Steve McQueen
Writer(s)
Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan
Producer(s)
Iain Canning, Emile Sherman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
50 wins & 94 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (227) | Top Critics (66) | Fresh (179) | Rotten (48)
Shame is, indeed, a perfect distillation of the suffering-guy archetype.
August 28, 2019
Noah Berlatsky
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Cleverly written and beautifully portrayed, Shame is a sensitive look at sex and addiction we’ve rarely seen before in film.
September 8, 2017 | Rating: A+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
The film’s numb attitude assumes that Brandon’s problem is beyond reach or rescue. So why are we watching, except for high-tone misery and something close to pornography?
June 20, 2013
David Thomson
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Many may hail Shame as a voyeuristic masterpiece when in fact it’s an empty provocation verging on the ludicrous.
June 20, 2013
Laura Kern
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It is an exercise in controlled primeval cinematic chaos, the filmmaker going places and showcasing facets of the human conditions many would run screaming in the opposite direction to get away from.
January 27, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
The film is a raw, unsparing look at the downside of humanity.
January 20, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Calvin Wilson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Destined to cause debate, Shame is a film that will stay with you long after…
April 23, 2021
Owen Nicholls
NME
A reflective/introspective look at society’s ills in the time of economic crisis and the world in turmoil is perhaps not very well timed. And Brandon’s sexual escapades in the last act reach almost a comedic level.
March 21, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
I”ll be honest, it’s an exciting film, in that rare way few other films can be. It’s tackling subject matter that is rarely addressed but critical to delve into in our culture.
February 10, 2021
Scott Nye
Battleship Pretension
Wonderfully shot and performed, this is a total must-see…
December 12, 2020
Charlotte Harrison
Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
A mesmerizing, unforgettable film.
September 22, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
An intense portrait of a man in the throws of an addiction that he can’t control, of a spiral of self-hatred and self-abuse.
July 19, 2020 | Rating: B+
Brent McKnight
The Last Thing I See…
Plot
Brandon, a successful New Yorker, struggles with sex addiction and numbs himself to everything else. When his sister Sissy unexpectedly comes to stay with him, he is forced to confront his addiction head-on.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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