I really want Elizabeth Berkley to know I watched Showgirls for the first time in 2024 in a packed theater at a sold-out screening of a 35mm print, and loved it.
Yes, this movie is far from perfect: it seems like the craziest of warm-up takes may have been selected at times, and baffling if not lazy choices were made on some of the dialogues, leading to several instances of dubious delivery and epic involuntary humour. However, the relentless vision and the βheatβ that the female leads undoubtedly bring brute force the story to climax. Elizabeth Berkley's performance (as the lead character Nomi) is a whirlwind of energy and contagious enthusiasm. The absurdity of some scenes, like the basket of fries that goes flying or the infamous pool sex scene, adds to the surreal appeal of this dizzying blend of ambition, betrayal, and utter hubris for an overall experience that is as mesmerizing as it is baffling.
Universally slammed upon release and widely considered one of the worst films ever made, Showgirls has over the years earned its place as a cult classic. The production budget is estimated to be between 40 and 45 million $ and while the movie is estimated to have made less than $38m at the global box office at the time of original release, video and streaming sales are estimated to be around an additional $100m. On top of this, Showgirls seems to still be making a steady income at arthouse screenings. Watching it in a theater full of enthusiastic fans fully drove it home for me, even though the sometimes excessive laughter and cheers from the crowd make it clear that people still get wildly different value from the watching experience. This comes with a level of cognitive dissonance, considering some of the extremely graphic portrayals of emotional and sexual gendered violence.
The main issue with this picture is that, in many ways, Showgirls feels like an attempt at a feminist movie distorted through a male-gaze lens. It does strive to present the gritty reality of a woman's struggle for power and respect in a male-dominated industry but does so through a portrayal that often disproportionally objectifies its female characters. This paradox is perhaps part of what makes this film so hard to frame and, for some, to watch. Despite all of this, the fact of the matter is that in 2024, Showgirls still brings the house down.
Rating (4/5): βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ