Showgirls review – Paul Verhoeven’s kitsch-classic softcore erotic drama is pure bizarreness

Showgirls, overshadowed in its 1995 release but now celebrating its 30th anniversary, is an offbeat erotic drama that blended softcore sensuality with a unique visual style. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, it follows Nomi, a mysterious drifter who stumbles into Las Vegas, where she befriends a tough club girlfriend and gets involved in strip clubs, despite her own survival instincts. Despite its strange elements—like clamped acting and directing styles—it's been embraced as a cult classic for its relentless eroticism and unsettling atmosphere.