---
title: "The Last Showgirl: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-last-showgirl/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-last-showgirl"
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 25
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 Last Showgirl (2024): what the critics said

Critics' score 64 from 25 reviews: 12 positive, 9 mixed, 4 negative.

The reviews lean cautiously positive, with much firmer agreement on Pamela Anderson than on the film around her. Most critics praise the vulnerability and sincerity of her performance, finding emotional weight in Shelly’s pride in her work and uncertainty about her future. Praise also gathers around the film’s sympathy for ageing women and its portrait of Las Vegas’s faded glamour, though the soft visuals do not work for everyone.

The verdicts range widely, but reservations repeatedly concern thin writing, underdeveloped relationships and a tendency to meander. Even several admirers find the storytelling slight; less persuaded critics see repetition and atmosphere covering for a shortage of dramatic substance. Variety offers a notable dissent on Anderson herself, finding both her performance and the role limited, while singling out Jamie Lee Curtis for praise. The central divide is over how much Anderson can compensate for the screenplay.

## IndieWire — Kate Erbland

Rating B+. 10 January 2025. Festival review. 

Erbland praises the film as a deeply affecting showcase for Pamela Anderson, while noting that it loses focus when it moves away from her character. She singles out Anderson’s emotionally intense, vulnerable performance as the film’s great strength.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gia-coppola-1235044791/)

## Evening Standard — Hayley Spencer

Rating 4/5. 15 February 2025. 

Spencer finds the film a heartfelt success and calls Anderson’s performance captivating. She praises the sensitive visual portrait of the Las Vegas showgirl community.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-andersons-breakout-role-is-a-belter-b1211280.html)

## The Guardian — Wendy Ide

Rating 4/5. 2 March 2025. 

Ide finds the film bruising and beautiful, though its storytelling can feel flimsy. She especially praises Pamela Anderson’s subtle performance, which she says transforms how audiences see her as an actor.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/02/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gives-performance-of-a-lifetime-in-rhinestone-studded-tale)

## Time Out — Elizabeth Weitzman

Rating 4/5. 8 January 2025. 

Weitzman calls the film a touching elegy to Las Vegas razzle-dazzle and says Anderson hits a career high. She singles out Anderson’s performance as a revelation.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-last-showgirl-2025)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. 

The review is broadly positive about Gia Coppola’s film. It singles out Pamela Anderson’s performance for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/movies/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2025. 

Nicholson finds the film slight and occasionally padded, but says Pamela Anderson’s layered performance transcends it. She especially praises Anderson’s sincerity and self-awareness in portraying Shelly’s hazy contradictions.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-01-09/last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-jamie-lee-curtis-dave-bautista)

## Screen Daily — Robert Daniels

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2024. Festival review. 

The available standfirst frames the film as a showcase that could put Pamela Anderson into the awards conversation. The paywall prevents access to the critic’s fuller verdict or any specific praise.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-last-showgirl-toronto-review/5196991.article)

## The AV Club — Brianna Zigler

Rating B-. 12 December 2024. 

Zigler finds the film slipshod, despite its thoughtful examination of aging and womanhood. She praises Pamela Anderson’s fragile, captivating performance as the film’s great strength.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-last-showgirl-review)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2024. Festival review. 

Rooney finds the film slender but tender, with a moving portrait of a woman whose sense of self is crumbling as she is devalued. He praises Pamela Anderson’s affecting performance, while criticizing the film’s drift and emphasis on atmosphere over substance.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gia-coppola-jamie-lee-curtis-1235994720/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page appears to be a review of the specified film, but the browser challenge prevents access to the critic’s verdict. I can’t verify what the critic praised or criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-film-review)

## Slant Magazine — Rocco T. Thompson

Rating 2.5/4. 8 December 2024. 

Thompson finds the film fleeting and emotionally affecting, though its screenplay feels undercooked. He praises Pamela Anderson’s performance and the film’s empathy for the pressures facing aging women.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gia-coppola-jamie-lee-curtis/)

## Empire — Miriam Balanescu

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2025. 

The critic finds the film somewhat half-hearted but sees it as an impressive showcase for Pamela Anderson. They praise Anderson’s performance and the film’s meditation on motherhood, ageing, and Las Vegas, while faulting its script and character development.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-last-showgirl/)

## Little White Lies — Mark Asch

Rating 4/3/3. 27 February 2025. 

Asch finds the film dreamy and low-key to a fault, yet pleasant and predictable. He praises Pamela Anderson’s distinctive voice and performance, while noting the mother-daughter material feels derivative.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-last-showgirl)

## Vulture — Roxana Hadadi

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2025. 

Hadadi finds the film repetitive and meandering, but says Pamela Anderson’s performance gives it substance. She particularly praises Anderson’s earnest portrayal of Shelly’s pride in her work and the film’s evocative cinematography in Shelly’s movie room.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-last-showgirl-review-you-cant-ignore-pamela-anderson.html)

## Sight and Sound — BFI

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2025. 

The critic finds the film a cautious, forgettable comeback vehicle despite its appealing cast and melancholy mood. Anderson’s performance sparkles, but the film’s reliance on blurred lines between star and character ultimately reveals little.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/last-showgirl-cautious-comeback-vehicle-pamela-anderson)

## The i Paper — Christina Newland

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2025. 

Newland finds the film stylish but dramatically shallow, with relationships that lack depth. She praises Anderson’s delicate performance as the film’s main attraction.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/pamela-anderson-wonderful-the-last-showgirl-review-shallow-superficial-3551114)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2024. 

Debruge finds the film disappointing, arguing that Pamela Anderson’s limited performance and the thinly written role keep it from becoming a convincing comeback. He singles out Jamie Lee Curtis as a fearless, scene-stealing presence, especially in her casino-floor dance.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-1236159496/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2024. Festival review. 

Hammond gives the film a glowing verdict, calling it smart, touching, funny, honest, and wise. He especially praises Pamela Anderson’s emotionally exposed performance, while noting that the film meanders at times.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/09/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-revelation-gia-coppolas-smart-story-vegas-toronto-film-festival-1236080602/)

## Consequence — Liz Shannon Miller

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2025. 

The critic finds the film unexpectedly universal and praises Pamela Anderson’s emotionally candid performance. The ensemble, especially Dave Bautista’s nuanced scenes with Anderson, also stands out.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2025/01/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson/)

## NME

Rating Recommended. 

The review finds the film evocative and moving, despite some meandering in its direction. It singles out Pamela Anderson’s warm, authentic performance and the cinematography’s capture of Vegas’s faded glamour.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gia-coppola-3842005)

## Film Stories — Maria Lattila

Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2025. 

The critic finds the film affecting and sincere, despite some overly simple themes and distracting visual softness. Pamela Anderson’s vulnerable, courageous performance is singled out as the film’s great strength.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-andersons-star-is-reborn/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2024. 

The critic finds the film uneven but says Pamela Anderson’s performance makes it worth watching. They single out her raw, daring portrayal as its main strength, while criticizing the underdeveloped supporting characters and conventional direction.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2024. 

Wilkinson finds the film stylish and often engaging, but says its visual flourishes and overly explicit moments weaken it. She praises Pamela Anderson’s performance and singles out Dave Bautista for bringing soulfulness to his role.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-last-showgirl-2024-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Paste — Rory Doherty

Rating 5.6. 11 December 2024. 

Doherty finds the film underbaked despite its compelling central performance. He praises Pamela Anderson’s vibrant acting but faults the dialogue and the film’s failure to show Shelly dancing meaningfully.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-last-showgirl/the-last-showgirl-review-pamela-anderson-gia-coppola)

## The Skinny — Katie Driscoll

Rating ★★. 24 February 2025. 

Driscoll finds the film disappointing, overly saccharine, and emotionally hollow. She singles out Jamie Lee Curtis’s spontaneous casino dance to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” as one of its few highlights.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-last-showgirl)

---
© 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-last-showgirl.md