--- title: "The 40 Year-Old Virgin: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 7 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): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Time Out — PW Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-40-year-old-virgin) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating B+. 16 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-40-year-old-virgin-1798201075) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-40-year-old-virgin-review/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. 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 the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/rude-crude-and-really-funny-7385674.html) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/40-year-old-virgin-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-40-year-old-virgin/) ## Los Angeles Times — Carina Chocano 19 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-aug-19-et-40virgin19-story.html) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 19 August 2005. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/arts/the-deflowering-of-a-genial-misfit.html) ## Variety — Brian Lowry 12 August 2005. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/the-40-year-old-virgin-1200523912/) ## Digital Spy — Daniel Saney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2005. 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 the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a24097/the-40-year-old-virgin/) ## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty 23 December 2008. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-40-year-old-virgin-film-review-by-stephen-carty) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin.md