Showgirls

Right now you can watch Showgirls in Australia on Foxtel Now and MUBI, and in the US on YouTube TV and Fawesome — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,405 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Elizabeth Berkley's performance alone is worth the time investment. Available now on Foxtel Now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Showgirls is worth clearing space for. Showgirls trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. Fresh to Las Vegas with no connections, Nomi Malone takes a job as an exotic dancer. Her talents are quickly noticed by Cristal, a headlining dancer who senses an opportunity to bolster her own act. But Nomi won’t play second fiddle and soon begins her venomous path to the top, ruthlessly backstabbing anyone who gets in her way. Elizabeth Berkley and Kyle MacLachlan lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. Showgirls came out in 1995. What elevates Showgirls is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Showgirls is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Elizabeth Berkley is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.