The Canyons

2013

The Canyons

Critics Consensus

Oppressively misanthropic and ineptly made, The Canyons serves as a sour footnote in Paul Schrader's career -- but it does feature some decent late-period work from Lindsay Lohan.

22%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 93

15%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 3,183
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The Canyons Photos

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Movie Info

While calculating young movie producer Christian (Deen) makes films to keep his trust fund intact, his actress girlfriend, Tara (Lohan), hides an affair with an actor from her past. But Christian becomes aware of her infidelity, which leads the young Angelenos into a violent, sexually-charged tour through the dark side of human nature. (c) IFC
  • Rating:
    R (for strong sexual content including graphic nudity, language throughout, a bloody crime scene and brief drug use)
  • Genre:
    Drama, Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Paul Schrader
  • Written By:
    Bret Easton Ellis
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $31,317
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    IFC Films

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Cast

Lindsay Lohan
as Tara
James Deen
as Christian
Nolan Gerard Funk
as Ryan
Amanda Brooks
as Gina
Tenille Houston
as Cynthia
Gus Van Sant
as Dr. Campbell
Jarod Einsohn
as Hoodie Guy
Morgan Locke
as Reed
Victor Fischbarg
as Randall
Jim Boeven
as Jon
Philip Pavel
as Erik
Lily Labeau
as Young Hot Girl
Thomas Trussel
as Young Hot Guy
Alex Ashbaugh
as David
Chris Schellenger
as Jaden
Lauren Schacher
as Caitlin
Diana Gitelman
as Receptionist
Andres De La Fuente
as Photographer
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Critic Reviews for The Canyons

All Critics (93) | Top Critics (32)

  • With the pungent combination of a script from novelist Bret Easton Ellis, a performance by Lindsay Lohan and direction by Paul Schrader, The Canyons might have been a micro-budget sensation, but sadly it reeks of laziness.

    Sep 23, 2014 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Kate Muir

    Times (UK)
    Top Critic

  • The Canyons deserves a look.

    May 8, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Peter Bradshaw

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • Lindsay Lohan lights up the screen as a fallen starlet in Paul Schrader's much-maligned noir quickie.

    May 8, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    David Jenkins

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • It believes it's taking risks it actually has no interest in taking, that it's seeing profundity in the showbiz shallows.

    Jan 3, 2014 | Full Review…

    Wesley Morris

    Grantland
    Top Critic

  • Ellis throws in lots of references to social media in a desperate bid for cultural currency, while Schrader intersperses the drama with pretentious shots of boarded-up movie theaters to suggest this is all a metaphor for the death of cinema.

    Aug 15, 2013 | Full Review…

    Ben Sachs

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • "The Canyons" is one of those movies that makes you feel worse just for having watched it.

    Aug 15, 2013 | Rating: 1.5/5 | Full Review…

    Bill Goodykoontz

    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (93)

Audience Reviews for The Canyons

  • May 07, 2014
    Apart from Lohan, almost everyone else in the cast is just lame (Deen should stay in porn) and has to deliver some ridiculous exposition amid an atmosphere of cheap soft-porn - and nothing can justify the combined talents of Schrader and Ellis leading to this pointless bore.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 30, 2014
    Lindsay Lohan continues to flush her career down the toilet with the trashy, exploitation film The Canyons. Dealing with themes of sex, control, and obsession, the story follows a film producer and his girlfriend as they have sexual liaisons with others. Lohan stars opposite porn star James Deen, and they both give bland, uninteresting performances. And while stuff happens in the film, there's no real semblance of a plot. Despite its provocative nature, The Canyons is a mundane and pointless film.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 24, 2014
    I'm going to keep it short and sweet. The dialogue in The Canyons is cringe-worthy... the only thing I really could appreciate was the look + music. Out of all the cast I'll say that Lohan and Funk did alright. Whoever thought that this "story" was a good idea needs a reality check.
    Chris H Super Reviewer
  • Aug 06, 2013
    ** I was reading Entertainment Weekly this past weekend when I came across a review for "The Canyons". They gave it a B+ and I had never heard of it. Sunday evening I was looking for something to watch, came across it and figured I'd give it a chance. It stars Lindsay Lohan as a yoga instructor who has a volatile/crazy sexual relationship with a producer played by James Deen. He becomes obsessed when he thinks she is cheating on him and things escalate from there. It's a thriller, that offers no thrills, well except to see Lohan naked through a lot of the movie. This is basically a notch above softcore porn's you see late night on Cinemax. Lot of nudity, some sex, and a whole lot of bad acting. It does have one of the weirdest sex scenes I've ever seen in a movie, as a foursome. Lohan probably is the best thing about the movie here. but even she does horrible. Deen has 2 facial expressions, bored and a smirkish pout. Plus, the way the movie ends is pretty stupid. They probably could have done some cooler stuff with the way Deen's character goes crazier and crazier, but they don't. It's an hour and a half that drags a lot, just feels too slow. I give it 2 stars for Lohan's two best assets, but other than that this is a complete skip. If EW gives this a B+ I'd really hate to see what their version of an A is.
    Everett J Super Reviewer
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