Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

91% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings

With a screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love to the screen. Humbert Humbert (James Mason) is a European professor who relocates to an American suburb, renting a room from lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenage daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte's sudden death, Humbert has Lolita all to himself -- or does he?

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Lolita

Lolita

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Critics Consensus

Kubrick's Lolita adapts its seemingly unadaptable source material with a sly comedic touch and a sterling performance by James Mason that transforms the controversial novel into something refreshingly new without sacrificing its essential edge.

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Critics Reviews

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Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Variety Staff Variety An occasionally amusing but shapeless film. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Where Nabokov was witty, Kubrick is sometimes merely snide, but fine performances (particularly from Peter Sellers, as the ominous Clare Quilty) cover most of the rough spots. May 8, 2007 Full Review Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Geoff Andrew Time Out Far more satisfying than his later works (one hesitates to call them mere movies). Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Pauline Kael Partisan Review The surprise of Lolita is how enjoyable it is: it’s the first new American comedy since those great days in the 1940’s when Preston Sturges recreated comedy with verbal slapstick. Sep 11, 2023 Full Review Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Essentially, Kubrick uses Nabokov’s story, and sexual fixation in general, for a meditation on people driven mad by what they can’t have. Rated: A Aug 30, 2022 Full Review Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Dwight MacDonald Esquire Magazine Lolita is a disappointment because we have a right to expect more from Kubrick (he may come through with his next, which I am told is to be a satirical treatment of the nuclear "defense" problem). May 6, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Isa B I love this film! It kept my attention for its entire runtime. The story, the acting, the dark comedy. Brilliant! Lolita is a unique work of art. James Mason was marvelous. Petter Sellers delivers an outstanding performance as Clare Quilty. That man was so talented. He does so much with so little with his subtle, seemingly disinterested moves on the dance floor. Hilarious! Sue Lyon made a remarkable debut. She acted like a true veteran thespian. Stanley Kubrick made a great picture in Lolita. I highly recommend!92/100 Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Mason M A very interesting study on infatuation, Lolita is a great early Stanley Kubrick film. I love Kubrick's 1950s films like Paths of Glory or The Killing, so I was very excited to watch Lolita, and it did not disappoint. Lolita beautifully and subtly tells its story, full of amazing performances, well done dialogue, and great writing, making this an enthralling watch. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Shioka O It's old and long but well-paced and still enjoyable. I watched the tragic 90s remake and this Kubrick version is much smarter and laughable. Desirable direction for satire. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/28/24 Full Review Yash B Stanley Kubrick always showed his creativity with his films, and "Lolita" continues this trend. This movie tells a bizarre yet fascinating story that brings a lot of solid ideas together. The movie has a comedic side I didn't expect and the story is presented in a way where it kept my interest. The film is a bit long and sometimes I do feel like it is noticeable but the actors keep it engaging. Also sometimes the movie is pretty uncomfortable, and while that is probably the point, it is hard to get used to it at any point. Overall, I liked this movie and while it isn't among Kubrick's best films, it is still a good showcase of his ambition and storytelling. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/24 Full Review Elvis D Antes de las cuties, antes de las idols y antes del lolicon existió Lolita, la madre de las lolis que comenzó todo. La obra de Vladímir Nabokov que demuestra que para el amor, el placer y la belleza la edad nunca es relevante y no tendría que serlo por orden de las normas sociales o de algo tan iluso como la moral. El brillante Stanley Kubrick ha llevado esta obra a la gran pantalla sin saber lo que desataría años después. A pesar de mostrar una versión más resumida y liviana de lo que la novela relata, lo que narra la película es bastante claro. Un romance entre una joven y su padrastro que en realidad se ve bastante natural y hasta normal, hasta que el deseo de Humbert de tener a Lolita para él solo comienza a provocar dificultad. Las sospechas se tornan evidentes al ver cómo va terminando el matrimonio de Humbert con la madre de Lolita. Pero el amor de Humbert es claro y sincero a pesar de sus errores que van convirtiendo su historia en una tragedia. Es una historia que está bien contada con un guion bien estructurado y al ser una película de Kubrick, evidentemente es una buena película bien dirigida. Las actuaciones son excelentes y cabe mencionar que Sue Lyon demostró ser una joven muy talentosa. Ella sin duda nació para ser Lolita, aunque eso le ha costado cierta parte de su vida, pero fue un sacrificio necesario para dar vida a una dulce y hasta atrevida joven que abría las puertas a la fascinación por la sensualidad de las más jóvenes. Algo que es una bendición para quienes admiran e idolatran la belleza de las jovencitas. En ese aspecto, Lolita es una leyenda y una bendición que logró desafiar un tabú social. Lolita es una obra maestra que para los amantes del cine y de la belleza de las niñas merece ser considerada una joya. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 9/10. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/20/24 Full Review Montgomery M Humbert Humbert is the funniest name Ive ever heard.I dont feel like speaking on the subject matter of this movie. I do think it is a well made, good film though. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Stanley Kubrick Director James Mason Prof. Humbert Humbert Shelley Winters Charlotte Haze Sue Lyon Lolita Peter Sellers Clare Quilty Marianne Stone Vivian Darkbloom
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Synopsis With a screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love to the screen. Humbert Humbert (James Mason) is a European professor who relocates to an American suburb, renting a room from lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenage daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte's sudden death, Humbert has Lolita all to himself -- or does he?

Director
Stanley Kubrick

Producer
James B. Harris

Screenwriter
Vladimir Nabokov

Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Criterion Collection, Warner Home Vídeo

Production Co
Transwood, Seven Arts Productions, Harris-Kubrick Productions, Anya

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 13, 1962, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 31, 2008

Runtime
2h 32m
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Lolita | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)
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