‘It was trash. It was art. It was Showgirls…’
Along with A Nightmare On Elm Street and The Exorcist, Showgirls was one of those films that you talked about in hushed tones at school. By some kind of cultural osmosis, it was clear that this was a film that included bad things. And when you’re a kid, bad things are the most interesting things of all. When I finally saw Showgirls, even as a teenager who had spoken to about three girls in my whole life, I could recognise that the sex scene between Saved by the Bell’s Elizabeth Berkley and Twin Peaks‘ Kyle MacLachlan was utterly, wonderfully absurd. You Don’t Nomi is a celebration of all things Showgirls. A documentary that examines what later became a cult classic, and attempts to reevaluate a film that was utterly reviled upon release.
First time director Jeffrey McHale combines archive footage with academic cinematic critique to produce something that perhaps takes its subject matter too seriously. The many wide ranging theories about the film’s true meaning are interesting however, as is the testimony from people whose lives have genuinely been changed by Showgirls. What is missing is any kind of contribution from key cast members or from director Paul Verhoeven. This appears to be a deliberate omission on the part of McHale and his team, but at 90 minutes, too much of You Don’t Nomi feels like padding.
This documentary is never as fun as its source material, and if not for the nostalgia factor, perhaps I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all. As it is, You Don’t Nomi worked for me as a dissection of a weirdly important pop culture event from my childhood. There is still the dull ache of missed opportunity here though. It feels like there is still a great Showgirls documentary out there waiting to be made.