Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
A wounded woman’s candid life confession becomes an unsettling, darkly comic inquiry into desire, compulsion, and self-judgment.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- provocative
- bleak
- dryly comic
- arthouse cinema night
- lars von trier marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as provocative and formally distinctive, with strong performances and dark humor tempered by its deliberately explicit and episodic approach.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joe recounts her sexual history to Seligman in his home while his interpretations and digressions shape the presentation.
Joe explicitly identifies herself as a nymphomaniac and describes a lifelong pattern of sexual obsession and encounters.
Seligman responds to Joe's experiences with discussions of fly fishing, Fibonacci numbers, literature, and organ music.
The film juxtaposes explicit sexual confession with Seligman's calm, analytical hobbies and dry conversational responses.
Films like Nymphomaniac: Vol. I, and why
The Piano Teacher
shared erotic drama, psychological intensity, explicit sexuality, and fractured self-examination
Shame
shared provocative sexual subject matter, austere art-house style, and morally unsettling character study
The Last Tango in Paris
shared transgressive drama, retrospective storytelling, and bleakly ironic treatment of sexuality
The House That Jack Built
shared chaptered narrative, dark humor, philosophical digressions, and divisive formal experimentation
Movie Details
- Director
- Lars von Trier
- Release Date
- 2013-12-25
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (3760)
Cast
- Charlotte Gainsbourg
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Stacy Martin
- Shia LaBeouf
- Christian Slater
- Uma Thurman
- Sophie Kennedy Clark
- Connie Nielsen
- Ananya Berg
- Jens Albinus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nymphomaniac: Vol. I about?
- A wounded woman’s candid life confession becomes an unsettling, darkly comic inquiry into desire, compulsion, and self-judgment.
- What is Nymphomaniac: Vol. I like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nymphomaniac: Vol. I as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Nymphomaniac: Vol. I violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Nymphomaniac: Vol. I as moderate.
- What did critics think of Nymphomaniac: Vol. I?
- Critics broadly regard the film as provocative and formally distinctive, with strong performances and dark humor tempered by its deliberately explicit and episodic approach.
- Which films are like Nymphomaniac: Vol. I?
- Films with a similar feel include The Piano Teacher, Shame, The Last Tango in Paris, and The House That Jack Built.
- How long is Nymphomaniac: Vol. I?
- Nymphomaniac: Vol. I runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nymphomaniac: Vol. I?
- In United States, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I streams on Philo.
