Showgirls (1995)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An ambitious young woman travels to Las Vegas to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional showgirl.
The story
Young drifter Nomi Malone hitchhikes to Las Vegas, where she aspires to make it as a showgirl. After being robbed by her initial driver, she meets Molly Abrams, a professional in the local entertainment industry who takes her in as a roommate. To make ends meet, Nomi begins performing at a local club. Her ambition leads her to the Stardust Resort and Casino, where she meets Cristal Connors, the lead of a prestigious topless dance revue. Nomi's journey into the world of showgirls begins as she navigates the complexities of the local scene, seeking to rise from a mere dancer to a star.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Nomi Malone, a drifter in Las Vegas, works at a club before being scouted for the 'Goddess' revue at the Stardust. After a series of confrontations with her rival Cristal Connors and a bouncer named James, Nomi eventually wins a role in the show. After Cristal is injured in a fall, Nomi becomes the lead. However, the victory is hollow as she discovers her roommate Molly was brutally assaulted by a star performer, Andrew Carver. Nomi learns that her own past as 'Polly Ann Costello'—a girl who fled a traumatic childhood to work as a prostitute—is known by the management, who use it to blackmail her into silence regarding Molly's assault. To seek justice, Nomi confronts and beats Carver. She eventually reconciles with Cristal and leaves for Los Angeles, where she encounters her original kidnapper/robber and holds him at knifepoint.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Verhoeven
- Writers
- Joe Eszterhas · writer
- Cast and characters
- Elizabeth Berkley · Nomi Malone; Kyle MacLachlan · Zack Carey; Gina Gershon · Cristal Connors; Glenn Plummer; Robert Davi; Alan Rachins; Gina Ravera
- Genres
- erotic drama; black comedy; comedy-drama
- Themes
- American dream; sex work; exploitation; satire
- Tone and mood
- erotic; camp; darkly funny
- Setting
- Las Vegas and Los Angeles during the 1990s.
- Premise and plot tags
- showgirls; Las Vegas; underdog story
- Content notes
- nudity; sexual violence
- Reception
- The film was initially panned by critics and became a box-office failure, but it gained significant cult status and critical re-evaluation as a satire.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 24% · scale: percentage · review count: 82; Metacritic · score: 25 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Picture · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Actress · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Director · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Screenplay · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst New Star · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Screen Couple · 1995 · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Original Song · 1995 · win; Stinkers Bad Movie Awards · Worst Picture · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first and only NC-17 film to receive a wide release in mainstream theaters.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…