Sexual repression, voyeurism, and videotaped confessions upend a Baton Rouge marriage.
SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE
the husband. the wife. her sister. his friend.
A sexually repressed woman's husband is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything.
Quick Answer
Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a 1989 American drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh about a sexually repressed woman whose marriage and family are disrupted by the arrival of an enigmatic visitor with a penchant for videotaped interviews.
Programmer's Pick
Steven Soderbergh’s debut turns the camera on suppressed desires and the awkward art of confession—literally. James Spader’s enigmatic Graham introduces a videotaped twist to Southern ennui, making this a key text for anyone interested in the intersection of sexuality and self-revelation.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Steven Soderbergh
- Writer
- Steven Soderbergh
- Release
- 1989
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Country
- United States of America
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Drama
- Also Known As
- Sexo, Mentiras e Vídeo, Sexe, mensonge et vidéos, Sex, psemata kai videotainies, mentiras y video, Sekkusu to uso to bideotêpu, Seks yalanlari, Seks, klamstwa i kasety video, laži i video trake, Shkarim V'Videotape
Why This Matters
Written and directed by Steven Soderbergh at age 26, this independent drama won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and was later added to the National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, influencing the independent film movement of the early 1990s.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
Graham's peculiar habit of interviewing women about their sexual fantasies on tape is as unsettling as it is revealing, giving the film its voyeuristic edge.
Ann’s discomfort with intimacy and her journey through therapy anchor a nuanced look at desire and denial in American suburbia.
The film’s marital tensions are complicated by an affair with Ann’s sister and Graham’s provocative presence, giving familiar drama a fresh, tangled spin.
Set in Baton Rouge, the film’s understated style and minimalism bring out the languid, humid tension of Louisiana life.
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
Who directed Sex, Lies, and Videotape? +
Sex, Lies, and Videotape was directed by Steven Soderbergh.
How long is Sex, Lies, and Videotape? +
Sex, Lies, and Videotape has a runtime of 101 minutes.
What genre is Sex, Lies, and Videotape? +
Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a drama.
Why does Graham record women discussing their sexual experiences on videotape? +
Graham records women talking about their sexual fantasies and experiences because he finds gratification in these videotaped confessions, preferring them to traditional intimacy.