---
title: "The 40 Year-Old Virgin"
year: 2005
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin"
fi1m_id: "the-40-year-old-virgin"
imdb_id: "tt0405422"
tmdb_id: 6957
wikidata_id: "Q1139794"
fi1m_score: 79
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:29.956751+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Directed by Judd Apatow · 1h 56m · MPA R · Comedy, Romance

## Identity

The 40 Year-Old Virgin

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-40-year-old-virgin
- **IMDb ID:** tt0405422
- **TMDB ID:** 6957
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1139794
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405422/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/6957, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1139794

**Fi1m score: 79** · Critics 72 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* Steve Carell deserves better friends and a shorter appointment with the waxer

> Steve Carell and Catherine Keener make Judd Apatow’s crude comedy worth the evening. The romance is warmer than the title suggests, though overlong routines and lazy jokes about sexuality keep getting in its way.

## Synopsis

Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) is forty and has never had sex. A poker night brings his secret into the open, putting his inexperience and his friendships under scrutiny. His encounters with Trish Piedmont (Catherine Keener) bring the prospect of a relationship, with dating and physical intimacy presenting different kinds of difficulty. Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen also appear as David, Jay and Cal. Judd Apatow directs and co-writes with Carell, following Andy through sexual embarrassment, male friendship and the beginnings of a middle-aged romance.

## Review

*The 40 Year-Old Virgin* is a good-natured, often funny comedy that takes longer than it needs to tell a fairly simple story. Judd Apatow and Steve Carell’s screenplay treats a man’s sexual inexperience as a subject for embarrassment, friendship and romance, without assuming that it makes him a fool. Sex comedies do not always grant their central characters that much consideration. Andy Stitzer is allowed to be uncertain and likeable while the film gets on with the smut.

Carell plays Andy with a reserve that gives the louder comedy something to work against. The poker-night disclosure could reduce him to a single humiliating fact; Carell makes us notice how exposed he feels instead. He is convincing as someone who has become accustomed to living with an embarrassment and is now required to discuss it. Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen give the male company enough ease to make the friendship believable. The actors sound comfortable together even when what they are saying is unhelpful.

Catherine Keener’s Trish is crucial because she makes the romantic scenes feel like conversations between adults. She has enough humour of her own to stop the part becoming a reward for Andy’s improvement, and her ease with Carell makes his uncertainty touching. The gentler scenes deserve their place among the jokes. They give us a reason to want Andy to find his way through the awkwardness, and let Keener be funny without competing for the crudest line.

We laughed harder than we felt we ought to at the waxing scene. Carell makes the distress so convincing that enjoying it feels slightly unkind, but Andy remains a person we care about while the joke is happening. Apatow gets considerable mileage from that sympathy, allowing physical embarrassment to become ridiculous without treating the person enduring it as worthless. The sequence depends on how much discomfort Carell can communicate, and he gives it plenty.

Jack N. Green’s cinematography keeps the performances easy to read, although we would welcome more jokes made with the camera. Jackson De Govia’s production design is similarly unobtrusive; neither contribution is what stays with us afterwards. Lyle Workman’s music suits the softer passages, but Carell and Keener hardly need help making them affectionate. Brent White’s editing preserves the cast’s comic rapport, then too often allows an exchange to continue once the joke has landed. At 116 minutes, the film gives too many routines time to become less funny.

The more serious weakness is the reliance on jokes about race and sexuality that ask little of the writers. Apatow and Carell can recognise the absurdity of masculine bravado, yet sometimes settle for the insults that come with it. Those passages are lazy, and the affection elsewhere does not make them clever. They also make the film feel less observant: it has understood Andy carefully, then reached for a familiar stereotype when another laugh is needed.

Still, Carell and Keener make a persuasive case for staying with it, and the male ensemble supplies enough laughter to carry the untidier stretches. The film is happiest when its people are trying, not especially gracefully, to get along with one another. Choose it for the two leads, and be prepared to forgive some jokes they deserved to be spared.

*Fi1m score 79, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find The 40 Year-Old Virgin funny and warm, with praise centred on Steve Carell’s ability to make its inexperienced hero sympathetic without softening the lewd comedy. The reviews also credit Catherine Keener and the supporting cast with giving the relationships some substance. For the more enthusiastic critics, Judd Apatow combines gross-out gags with recognisable observations about dating and male friendship, allowing the romance to matter beyond the jokes.

The reservations range from a need for trimming to objections about the film’s attitudes towards race and sexuality. Several reviews find it overlong or uneven, while The AV Club argues that the raunch and the sensitive romance work at cross purposes. Slant Magazine is more sceptical, finding tired stereotypes and conservative romanticism beneath the sexual frankness; Variety likewise objects to homophobic humour and juvenile excess. Carell’s performance remains a point of agreement even among the less persuaded critics.

## Straight answers

**Is The 40 Year-Old Virgin worth watching?**

*The 40 Year-Old Virgin* is worth watching for the two leads, and we scored it 79. Steve Carell and Catherine Keener make the romance warmer and more grown-up than the title suggests, while Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen keep the male company funny. Expect routines that run past their best joke and some lazy gags about race and sexuality.

**How long is The 40 Year-Old Virgin, and what is it rated?**

*The 40 Year-Old Virgin* runs 1h 56m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and romance film.

**Where can I watch The 40 Year-Old Virgin in the US?**

*The 40 Year-Old Virgin* is streaming on AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Apple TV in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 22 September. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The 40 Year-Old Virgin, and is it suitable for children?**

*The 40 Year-Old Virgin* is not violent or frightening, but it is a crude sex comedy with a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. The humour is built on sexual embarrassment, strong language and one extended body-waxing scene played for prolonged discomfort. Older teenagers may manage it; the squeamish should be warned about the waxer.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Time Out**, PW (85/100, inferred): The critic finds it one of the best Hollywood comedies in years despite the poor title. They praise its mix of desperation, dignity, lunacy and wit, along with strong lead performances from Carell and Keener. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-40-year-old-virgin)
- **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (B+): The film is a big-hearted but uneven comedy that splits between raunchy stoner antics and a sensitive but unfunny middle-aged romance operating at cross purposes. Carell's charming lead performance and the cast's chemistry keep it afloat despite the tonal clashes. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-40-year-old-virgin-1798201075)
- **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): The review calls it scattershot hilarious with warmth behind the smutty laughs, highlighting Steve Carell's leap to leading man as both funny and human, plus the memorable improvised waxing scene. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-40-year-old-virgin-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Derek Malcolm (70/100, inferred): The critic admits to laughing heartily at the resolutely vulgar, gross and non-PC tale, crediting Steve Carell's amusing and sympathetic performance and Judd Apatow's handling of the icky humour, though noting it loses its way before the end. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/rude-crude-and-really-funny-7385674.html)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film delightfully disgusting yet faintly disappointing, hampered by being overlong and slightly muddled, but praises it as an enjoyable showcase for Steve Carell's superb performance. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/40-year-old-virgin-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (50/100, inferred): The comedy delivers effective lewd gags and Carell's blank naïveté in awkward sexual situations but ultimately succumbs to conservative romanticism and tired stereotypes about race and sexuality. The gross-out highlights like the morning-wood pee scene are a minor saving grace amid the formulaic script. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-40-year-old-virgin/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Carina Chocano: The review calls the film very funny yet refreshingly grounded and emotionally mature, turning a raucous premise into a sweet ode to male friendship and middle-aged love. It praises the empathetic handling of the characters and the performances of Carell and Keener. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-aug-19-et-40virgin19-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The critic finds the film a charmingly bent comedy that shifts from raunchy sex gags to genuine romance. She singles out Steve Carell’s tamped-down performance and the warm, funny chemistry with Catherine Keener for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/arts/the-deflowering-of-a-genial-misfit.html)
- **Variety**, Brian Lowry: The critic finds the film frequently funny with strong performances but notes it is crude, sophomorically homophobic, overstays its welcome, and indulges in juvenile excesses. It delivers enough belly laughs to appeal especially to a younger audience. [Read](https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/the-40-year-old-virgin-1200523912/)
- **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (75/100, inferred): The film delivers varied humor across different scenarios rather than repeating jokes, with a strong vehicle for Steve Carell that makes the audience sympathetic to the lead and root for him, supported by a likeable cast. It could use some trimming but keeps viewers engaged through its mix of character care and comedy. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a24097/the-40-year-old-virgin/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty: The critic finds the film a worthy and balanced successor to There's Something About Mary, delivering both crude laughs and realistic observations about dating and male friendships. Apatow is praised for creating a likeable central character and mixing gross-out gags with genuine insight. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-40-year-old-virgin-film-review-by-stephen-carty)

## Details

- **Director:** Judd Apatow
- **Director:** Judd Apatow
- **Writer:** Judd Apatow, Steve Carell
- **Cinematography:** Jack N. Green
- **Editor:** Brent White
- **Music:** Lyle Workman
- **Production design:** Jackson DeGovia
- **Costume design:** Debra McGuire
- **Producer:** Judd Apatow, Clayton Townsend, Shauna Robertson
- **Cast:** Steve Carell as Andy Stitzer; Catherine Keener as Trish Piedmont; Paul Rudd as David; Romany Malco as Jay; Seth Rogen as Cal; Elizabeth Banks as Beth; Leslie Mann as Nicky; Jane Lynch as Paula
- **Runtime:** 1h 56m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 11 August 2005
- **Genres:** Comedy, Romance
- **Budget:** $26 million
- **Box office:** $177 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVucTi58nA8

## Where to watch in the US

- AMC+: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-09-22
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $7.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance (nominated)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance (won)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Movie 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best Movie (nominated)
- MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (nominated)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Performance 2006: MTV Movie Award for Best Performance (nominated)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2006: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated)
- Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress 2005: Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (won)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Comedy Film 2005: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Comedy Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Marty* (1955): Another awkward adult courtship, with loneliness taken seriously and sentiment kept under control.
- *Gregory's Girl* (1980): Gentler sexual confusion, with the girls considerably better informed than the boys.
- *Enough Said* (2013): Adult attraction and embarrassment, carried by performers who make ordinary conversation worth hearing.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: A quieter romance for anyone drawn to the loneliness beneath Andy’s predicament. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008): More frank sexual embarrassment, with wounded people allowed to be funny and foolish.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin