Shame (2011)

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  • Opened December 2, 2011 
  • 1 hr 39 min
  • NC-17 | Explicit sexual content

  • Parents: Common Sense Media says not for kids. More on child suitability

  • Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon's world spirals out of control. From director Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame is a compelling and timely examination of the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie
  • Director: Steve McQueen
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama

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Fans say Go
192 fans
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Critics say Go
72 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

Oh No!
Shame

by TSelz

Watching someone who is completely shut down emotionally is like watching paint dry. Very slow and boring, with a couple of good shots. Overall, not worth the time or money....

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A Masterpiece (and Incredibly Unsexy)

by Rendezvous

I really pity the viewers who came to Shame looking for a sexy movie (Fassbender? Sex addict? Sounds hot!) because dear lord it was brilliant in how incredibly unsexy it was. This isn't a run of the...

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American Wet Dreaming

by Jake_Gittes

The 9/11 Era ended on 9/15/08, the day Lehman Bros. filed Chap. 11 and big-time bailouts began. Shame has no pity for NYC. Manhattan serves as the backdrop for over-leveraged sex. Imagine Brandon...

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Critic Reviews

100
The Hollywood Reporter
| Todd McCarthy

Driven by a brilliant, ferocious performance by Michael Fassbender, Shame is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual addiction that's as all-encompassing as a craving for drugs. Read full review

100
San Francisco Chronicle
| Amy Biancolli

Shame has a lolling pace and stunning visual clarity. Structurally, it's close to perfect - its precision echoed in the Glenn Gould piano recordings of Bach keyboard works that Brandon listens to obsessively. Read full review

80
New York Daily News
| Elizabeth Weitzman

These characters are stripped bare in every sense, reflecting an extreme degree of inner confusion, vulnerability and fear. Betrayed and broken as children, they now have to define and rebuild themselves as adults...Sissy turns a nightclub rendition of "New York, New York" into a heartbreaking plea. Read full review

75
Philadelphia Inquirer
| Carrie Rickey

McQueen finds the exquisite tension between the brother wanting to disconnect and the sister longing for connection. To paraphrase a line of Sissy's, it's a good movie that comes from a bad place. Read full review

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Michael Fassbender as Brandon in "Shame.''