sex, lies, and videotape (1989)
He wrote the script in eight days, on a yellow legal pad, during a drive across the country. When it got into Cannes, he didn't even want to attend, sure he'd be humiliated.
It won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, over films by directors decades his senior. At 26, he was the youngest solo director ever to win it.
An unhappy wife. Her sister. A cheating husband. A soft-spoken drifter who can only be close to people by videotaping them talking candidly about their private lives. It is four people in a few rooms, telling the truth for once, and it is riveting.
SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989) kicked open the door for a whole generation of American independent film. Director Steven Soderbergh would go to make Erin Brockovich, Traffic, the Ocean's movies, and a stellar array of ambitious smaller films.
It all started on a legal pad.
About the Film
the husband. the wife. her sister. his friend.
- Directed By
- Steven Soderbergh
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Released
- August 4, 1989
- Certification
- R
- Country
- United States of America
- Starring
- James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, Laura San Giacomo, Ron Vawter
More Credits
- Genres
- Drama
- Language
- English
- Origin
- US
- Studios
- Outlaw Productions
- Written By
- Steven Soderbergh
- Produced By
- John Hardy, Nancy Tenenbaum, Robert Newmyer, Morgan Mason, Nick Wechsler
- Cinematography
- Walt Lloyd
- Music
- Cliff Martinez
- Also Starring
- Steven Brill, Alexandra Root, Earl T. Taylor, David Foil
- Budget
- $1,200,000
- Box Office
- $24,741,667
Where to Watch
Source: JustWatch
Physical Media
2018, Criterion Collection (Blu-ray, Spine #938). Pesents a new 4K restoration from the original negative, supervised by Soderbergh, who was so pleased with it he reportedly asked that all previous copies be destroyed. The extras are a film school in themselves: a wonderful 1998 commentary with Soderbergh and director Neil LaBute, a new Soderbergh introduction, older interviews with him from 1990 and 1992, a new making-of documentary with Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell, and Laura San Giacomo, a 1989 interview with James Spader, a conversation between composer Cliff Martinez and sound man Larry Blake, a deleted scene, and a booklet with an Amy Taubin essay and excerpts from the production diary Soderbergh kept at the time.
Blu-rayCriterion2018
Adam added 9/16/2026
This was so good! I still quote from this movie about having too many keys!!😅
This film still holds up with an intimate ensemble performance and likely did open doors in a stale Hollywood at the time. Spike Lee however was not so into yet another unhappy cheating white people movie overshadowing Do The Right Thing.
Clifford Hill Thanks for the comment, and thanks for reminding me to do a Spike Lee film.
Clifford Hill you can have both
Great film, great cast.