sex, lies, and videotape
“the husband. the wife. her sister. his friend.”
Synopsis
Ann, a frustrated wife, enters into counseling due to a troubled marriage. Unbeknownst to her, her husband John has begun an affair with her sister. When John’s best friend Graham arrives, his penchant for interviewing women about their sex lives forever changes John and Ann’s rocky marriage.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-02-19
Top Cast
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Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
August 4, 1989
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 6, 1998
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$24.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
20.62x
+$23.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Steven Soderbergh
- Screenplay & Story
- Steven Soderbergh
- Original Score
- Cliff Martinez
- Original Title
- sex, lies, and videotape
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Production Budget
- $1.2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $24.7M
- Production Studios
- Outlaw Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Cliff Martinez
Walt Lloyd
Steven Soderbergh
John Hardy, Robert Newmyer, Nancy Tenenbaum, Morgan Mason, Nick Wechsler
Department Leadership Roster
Walt Lloyd
Director of Photography
Cliff Martinez
Original Music Composer
Steven Soderbergh
Editor
Steven Soderbergh
Director
John Hardy
Producer
Robert Newmyer
Producer
Steven Soderbergh
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for sex, lies, and videotape.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring sex, lies, and videotape.
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Indie Spirit Award for Best Feature 独立精神奖历届最佳长片。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:39:18 UTC+8)*
戛纳电影节金棕榈奖
70 years of the Palme d’or / 70 ans de la Palme d’or 戛纳电影节历届金棕榈奖（及前身大奖）获奖影片。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:39:04 UTC+8)*
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:48 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About sex, lies, and videotape
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is sex, lies, and videotape about?
Ann, a frustrated wife, enters into counseling due to a troubled marriage. Unbeknownst to her, her husband John has begun an affair with her sister. When John’s best friend Graham arrives, his penchant for interviewing women about their sex lives forever changes John and Ann’s rocky marriage.
Who directed sex, lies, and videotape?
sex, lies, and videotape was directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Who stars in sex, lies, and videotape?
The principal cast of sex, lies, and videotape includes James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, Laura San Giacomo, Ron Vawter.
When was sex, lies, and videotape released and how long is it?
sex, lies, and videotape was released in 1989 with a total runtime of 1h 41m.
What was the box office and production budget of sex, lies, and videotape?
sex, lies, and videotape had a reported production budget of $1.2M and grossed $24.7M at the worldwide box office (20.62 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for sex, lies, and videotape?
The original motion picture soundtrack for sex, lies, and videotape was composed by Cliff Martinez.
What is the age rating and content advisory for sex, lies, and videotape?
sex, lies, and videotape holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).