"[W]orth seeing primarily for Michael Fassbender's mesmerizing performance....The camera lingers on Fassbender's subtly riveting face and chiseled physique."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (12/02/2011)
"[B]oth unflinching and unnerving, this is a psychologically claustrophobic film that strips its characters bare literally and figuratively, leaving them, and us, nowhere to hide."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (12/02/2011)
"Mulligan is terrific here, and restrained in a way that suggests an actorly generosity unusual for someone so young..."
Movieline - Stephanie Zacharek (12/01/2011)
3 stars out of 5 -- "Holding shots for many minutes at a time, employing extreme close ups and letting his actors do the heavy lifting McQueen is the auteur darling of the moment....He has undeniable talent and clear ideas of the story he wants to tell."
Box Office - Pete Hammond (11/30/2011)
"Driven by a brilliant, ferocious performance by Michael Fassbender, SHAME is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual addiction that's as all-encompassing as a craving for drugs."
Hollywood Reporter - Todd McCarthy (09/04/2011)
"Fassbender delivers a riveting performance, giving himself over completely to become a man addicted to lust."
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (12/09/2011)
"[I]t’s told with tremendous clarity and power....Again, Fassbender leaves nothing in reserve." -- Grade: B+
A.V. Club - Scott Tobias (12/01/2011)
"[T]he director brings his artist's eye to every frame of the film..."
Wall Street Journal (12/02/2011)
4 stars out of 4 -- "SHAME contains unblinking truth....This is a great act of filmmaking and acting."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (11/30/2011)
3 stars out of 4 -- "As in HUNGER, McQueen favors long, uninterrupted takes, which gives Fassbender's extraordinary gift for expression free rein....There's no doubt that SHAME burrows into one's consciousness and stays there..."
Washington Post (12/02/2011)
"[McQueen] is at his best when staging wrestling bouts -- be they psychological, intellectual or erotic."
Sight and Sound - Sight and Sound Critic (02/01/2012)
4 stars out of 5 -- "SHAME remains a provocative portrait of a man in thrall to uncontrollable desire. It's battering and ballsy..."
Total Film - Rosie Fletcher (02/01/2012)