The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Critics Consensus

Rocky Horror Picture Show brings its quirky characters in tight, but it's the narrative thrust that really drives audiences insane and keeps 'em doing the time warp again.

80%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 41

85%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 366,166
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Movie Info

This low-budget freak show/cult classic/cultural institution concerns the misadventures of Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) inside a strange mansion that they come across on a rainy night. After the wholesome pair profess their love through an opening song, their car breaks down in the woods, and they seek refuge in a towering castle nearby. Greeting them at the door is a ghoulish butler named Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), who introduces them to a bacchanalian collection of partygoers dressed in outfits from some sort of interplanetary thrift shop. The host of this gathering is a transvestite clad in lingerie, Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), a mad scientist who claims to be from another planet. With assistants Columbia (Nell Campbell) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn) looking on, Frank unveils his latest creation -- a figure wrapped in gauze and submerged in a tank full of liquid. With the addition of colored dyes and some assistance from the weather, Frank brings to life a blonde young beefcake wearing nothing but skimpy shorts, who launches into song in his first minute of life. Just when Brad and Janet think things couldn't get any stranger, a biker (Meat Loaf) bursts onto the scene to reclaim Columbia, his ex-girlfriend. When Frank kills the biker, it's clear that Brad and Janet will be guests for the night, and that they may be next on Frank's list -- whether for murder or carnal delights is uncertain. And just what is that mystery meat they're eating for dinner, anyway? In addition to playing Riff Raff, O'Brien wrote the catchy songs, with John Barry and Richard Hartley composing the score. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

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Cast

Tim Curry
as Dr. Frank N Furter
Susan Sarandon
as Janet Weiss
Barry Bostwick
as Brad Majors
Richard O'Brien
as Riff Raff
Jonathan Adams
as Dr. Scott
Peter Hinwood
as Rocky
Nell Campbell
as Columbia
Patricia Quinn
as Magenta
Meat Loaf
as Eddie
Charles Gray
as Criminologist
Jeremy Newson
as Ralph Hapschatt
Hilary Labow
as Betty Munroe
Lester Cole & Frank Melford
as Wedding Dad
Pat Quinn
Mark Johnson
as Wedding Guest
Koo Stark
as Bridesmaid
Christopher Biggins
as Transylvanian
Petra Leah
as Bridesmaid
Gaye Brown
as Transylvanian
Gina Barrie
as Bridesmaid
Ishaq Bux
as Transylvanian
Imogen Claire
as Transylvanian
John P. Marquand
as Father
Fran Fullenwider
as Transylvanian
Lindsay Ingram
as Transylvanian
Annabel Leventon
as Transylvanian
Anthony Milner
as Transylvanian
Henry Woolf
as Transylvanian
Sadie Corre
as Transylvanian Dancer
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Critic Reviews for The Rocky Horror Picture Show

All Critics (41) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (8)

  • One hundred minutes of pure queer celebration that manages to concoct a bizarre cocktail of sincerity and reckless abandon.

    Oct 31, 2012 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

    Andy Tweddle

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • Most of the jokes that might have seemed jolly fun on stage now appear obvious and even flat. The sparkle's gone.

    Jan 11, 2008 | Full Review…

    Variety Staff

    Variety
    Top Critic

  • The wit is too weak to sustain a film, and the songs all sound the same.

    Feb 9, 2007 | Full Review…

    Dave Kehr

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • A string of hummable songs gives it momentum, Gray's admirably straight-faced narrator holds it together, and a run on black lingerie takes care of almost everything else.

    Feb 9, 2006 | Full Review…

    Geoff Andrew

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Viewed on video simply as a movie, without the midnight sideshow, it's cheerful and silly, and kind of sweet, and forgettable.

    Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Roger Ebert

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • For those willing to experiment with something a little bit different, a little bit outré, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has a lot to offer.

    Jan 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Piers Beckley

    BBC.com
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (41)

Audience Reviews for The Rocky Horror Picture Show

  • Apr 07, 2015
    The Rocky Horror Picture Show is about as cult as it gets, without actually getting illegal. Taking into account the year it was released and the mostly unknown cast that were picked, the success of the film was phenomenal. Richard O'Brien writing the songs managed to do what seems impossible to most - writing a musical where al the songs are catchy and don't come across as "fillers". The low-budget works perfectly with the camp tone and is great for adapting the stage show into a memorable "picture show". The film is definitely a spoof of B-movies, hammer-style horror films and a general tribute to "giving yourself over to absolute pleasure". Tim Curry as Frank N' Furter is quite something and its great to see foetus Susan Sarandon.
    Harry W Super Reviewer
  • Nov 16, 2014
    "Let's do the Time Warp again!" The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a madcap horror musical that became a cultural phenomenon. The story follows a stranded couple that takes shelter at a nearby castle and are taken on a psychedelic journey of the bizarre by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania." The film satirizes the sci-fi and horror genres, with particular allusions to Frankenstein and Dracula. Featuring several of the original stars from the stage production, the cast is amazingly good, giving incredible performances. And the musical numbers are especially energetic, with fun and rambunctious songs; such as "The Time Warp" and "Science Fiction/Double Feature." A garish and irreverent film that goes all out, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is wildly entertaining.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Oct 17, 2013
    Weirder than I thought. It was entertaining and sometimes even eccentrically beautiful but I don't think it is a must-see.
    Maymay A Super Reviewer
  • Oct 03, 2013
    Just saw this movie for the first time today. Loved it!
    Jacob P Super Reviewer
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