You Don't Nomi

Paul Verhoeven’s much-maligned masterpiece is placed under the microscope in this fascinating rumination on the one and only Showgirls.

When it opened in 1995, Paul Verhoeven’s big-budget sleaze-fest Showgirls was the talk of the town – for all the wrong reasons. Reviled by critics and ignored by audiences, the only place it found any love was at the Razzies. But time is a great healer, and as the years have passed, perceptions of the film have gradually shifted. In his riveting and deftly cine-literate investigation into the evolution of a true cult classic, Jeffrey McHale assembles a chorus of critics, academics and fans to have their say on one of cinema’s most baffling creations. More akin to an essay film than a conventional documentary, You Don’t Nomi makes a fascinating case for – and against – a film that we are still trying to understand all these years later. Now, pass me that Doggy Chow!