← Back to results
Shame
2011 102 min Canada, United Kingdom NC-17 18+
★7.3
Drama
Director: Steve McQueen
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
Brandon, a thirty-something man living in New York, eludes intimacy with women but feeds his deepest desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his younger sister temporarily moves into his apartment, stirring up bitter memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's life, like his fragile mind, gets out of control.
Budget:
$6.5M
US Gross:
$3.91M
Worldwide:
$3.91M
Starring
Michael Fassbender
Actor
Carey Mulligan
Actor
James Badge Dale
Actor
Awards
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Cinematography
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Film Editing
Venice Film Festival 2011
— Volpi Cup – Best Actor
Venice Film Festival 2011
— Golden Lion
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Cinematography
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Film Editing
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Picture
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Actor
Venice Film Festival 2011
— Volpi Cup – Best Actor
European Film Awards 2012
— Best Director
Golden Globe 2012
— Best Actor (Drama)
BAFTA 2012
— Best British Film
Key opinion
Shame is widely recognized as a visually striking and technically accomplished exploration of loneliness and compulsive behavior in modern urban settings. While many critics laud its atmospheric, formalist approach, some viewers find the deliberate pacing and emotional sterility to be distancing or dull.
| Acting | Fassbender’s physically intense and emotionally restrained performance serves as the anchor for the film's exploration of addiction. | |
| Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt’s clinical, painterly cinematography and the film’s atmospheric lighting effectively mirror the protagonist’s internal isolation. | |
| Score | Harry Escott’s mournful score creates a haunting, somber tone that reinforces the film’s central themes of repression and void. | |
| Direction | McQueen utilizes a minimalist, formalist aesthetic that prioritizes visual storytelling and long takes over exposition. | |
| Pacing | The film’s deliberate, contemplative tempo rewards viewers seeking an immersive character study, while others find the lack of traditional narrative drive to be exhausting or boring. | |
| Screenplay | The script’s sparse dialogue is seen by some as a profound reflection of the characters' inability to connect, while others feel it leaves the characters and their motivations underdeveloped. |