Controversial Thriller Flop Finds Cult Following On Streaming

Though Showgirls was a commercial failure that earned only $37.8 million against its reported budget of $45 million back in 1995, it has since earned over $100 million in the home video market, making it one of MGM’s all-time bestsellers.

Post-theatrical sales all but cemented Showgirls’ legacy as a legendary cult film that boasts gratuitous amounts of full-frontal nudity while celebrating the most horrible people you’ve ever had the displeasure of encountering. But like any other controversial film that becomes a highly revered staple in the cultural zeitgeist, it’s worth a watch because it’s hard to ignore its cultural impact, for better or worse.