Naked Lunch
“Exterminate all rational thought.”
Synopsis
Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee and his dead-eyed wife, Joan, like to get high on Bill's pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meeting the devilish Dr. Benway, Bill gets a drug made from a centipede. Upon indulging, he accidentally kills Joan, takes orders from his typewriter-turned-cockroach, ends up in a constantly mutating Mediterranean city and learns that his hip friends have published his work -- which he doesn't remember writing.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-01-27
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Peter Weller
Bill Lee
Judy Davis
Joan Frost
Ian Holm
Tom Frost
Julian Sands
Yves Cloquet
Roy Scheider
Dr. Benway
Monique Mercure
Fadela
Nicholas Campbell
Hank
Michael Zelniker
Martin
Robert A. Silverman
Hans
Joseph Scoren
Kiki
Peter Boretski
Creature Voices / Exterminator #2
Yuval Daniel
Hafid
John Friesen
Hauser
Sean McCann
O'Brien
Howard Jerome
A.J. Cohen
Michael Caruana
Pawnbroker
Kurt Reis
Exterminator #1
Louis Ferreira
Exterminator #3
Release History & Theatrical Window
Berlin International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 27, 1991
Wide Cinema Exhibition
November 11, 2003
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$16M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.17x
-$13.4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Screenplay & Story
- William S. Burroughs, David Cronenberg
- Original Score
- Howard Shore, Ornette Coleman
- Original Title
- Naked Lunch
- Country of Origin
- Canada, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- Arabic, English
- Runtime
- 1h 55m
- Production Budget
- $16M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.6M
- Production Studios
- Recorded Picture Company, Naked Lunch Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
David Cronenberg
William S. Burroughs, David Cronenberg
Howard Shore, Ornette Coleman
Peter Suschitzky
Ronald Sanders
Jeremy Thomas
Department Leadership Roster
David Cronenberg
Director
Peter Suschitzky
Director of Photography
Howard Shore
Original Music Composer
David Cronenberg
Writer
Jeremy Thomas
Producer
Ornette Coleman
Original Music Composer
Ronald Sanders
Editor
Carol Spier
Production Design
Denise Cronenberg
Costume Design
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
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Naked Lunch.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Naked Lunch.
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)*
Wait, You Haven't Seen...?
List of movies discussed on my Podcast, Wait, You Haven't Seen...? https://www.tvstravis.com/podcast/wyhs
Movie Collection
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Movie Night Bingo
Similar Titles to Naked Lunch
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.5
6.0
5.0
7.4
6.7
7.2
6.7
7.3
1.0
4.9
7.7
6.5
7.1
7.8
8.2
7.2
More Like Naked Lunch
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Naked Lunch
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Naked Lunch about?
Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee and his dead-eyed wife, Joan, like to get high on Bill's pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meeting the devilish Dr. Benway, Bill gets a drug made from a centipede. Upon indulging, he accidentally kills Joan, takes orders from his typewriter-turned-cockroach, ends up in a constantly mutating Mediterranean city and learns that his hip friends have published his work -- which he doesn't remember writing.
Who directed Naked Lunch?
Naked Lunch was directed by David Cronenberg.
Who stars in Naked Lunch?
The principal cast of Naked Lunch includes Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Ian Holm, Julian Sands, Roy Scheider.
When was Naked Lunch released and how long is it?
Naked Lunch was released in 1991 with a total runtime of 1h 55m.
What was the box office and production budget of Naked Lunch?
Naked Lunch had a reported production budget of $16M and grossed $2.6M at the worldwide box office (0.17 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Naked Lunch?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Naked Lunch was composed by Howard Shore, Ornette Coleman.
Is Naked Lunch based on a book or true story?
Naked Lunch is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "William S. Burroughs".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Naked Lunch?
Naked Lunch holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).