Pamela Anderson’s widely acclaimed new drama movie,The Last Showgirl, is the first movie of her entire 33-year acting career to earn a “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter Gia Coppola,The Last Showgirlstars Anderson as a veteran showgirl who has to plan for her future when her long-running Las Vegas show is abruptly canceled after 30 years.The Last Showgirlhas earned Andersonher first ever Golden Globe nomination(and first nomination for a major acting award) for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
The Last Showgirlhas been hailed as a comeback for Anderson. She’s a screen legend going back to her days as C.J. Parker onBaywatch, but it’s been years since she had a significant film role. She hada cameo in the 2017Baywatchmovie, but outside of that, she hasn’t been in a big movie since playing the Invisible Girl in 2008’s cult classic parodySuperhero Movie.The Last Showgirlisn’t just Anderson’s first starring role in years; it’s earning her the best reviews of her career — and it’s broken a massive Rotten Tomatoes record for her filmography.
The Last Showgirl Is Pamela Anderson’s First Movie With A Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Score
Pamela Anderson’s Only Previous Fresh Scores Were For Documentary & “As Herself” Appearances
Witha critics’ score of 78%,The Last Showgirlis the first movie of Anderson’s acting career to earn a “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. This rating is based on 64 reviews by professional critics. According to the critical consensus,The Last Showgirlhas been praised for shedding a light on the underrepresented working class of Vegas, and for Anderson’s career-best performance. The movie doesn’t have a Popcornmeter score from audiences, but the critics’ score is the best of Anderson’s career.The Last Showgirlhas also earned a 71/100 rating on Metacritic and a 6/10 rating on IMDb.
78%
35%
28%
18%
Superhero Movie
16%
She’s been in other movies that earned fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, but never as an actor.Pamela, a Love Story, the 2023 Netflix documentary in which Anderson recounts the ups and downs of her own life, received a near-perfect 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes and scored two Emmy nominations.Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen’s hit 2006 mockumentaryin which Anderson plays herself as the object of Borat’s affection, has a similarly impressive score of 90%. Anderson was in on the joke inBorat, so it did require some acting, but she only appears in one scene.
Why Pamela Anderson’s Prior Movies Struggled So Much On Rotten Tomatoes
Pamela Anderson Has Never Done The Kind Of Movies That Critics Enjoy
Anderson’s previous movies have all been panned by critics because she never really made the kind of movies that critics tend to enjoy. There are certain types of movies that audiences really enjoy, from sappy romcoms to over-the-top creature features, that rarely get any love from critics. It’s not so much that Anderson only ever made bad movies beforeThe Last Showgirl; it’s just thatshe focused on the kind of genre entertainment that appeals more to audiences than critics. Critics hate broad comedies likeScary Movie 3, but a large section of the audience loves them.
While all of Anderson’s movies pre-Last Showgirl received mostly negative reviews, a lot of them have since been reappraised as cult classics.
While all of Anderson’s movies pre-Last Showgirlreceived mostly negative reviews, a lot of them have since been reappraised as cult classics. Anderson’s breakout film role was the titular Barbara Kopetski in 1996’sBarb Wire, a superhero movie based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. Although it was slated by critics on its release, scoring a dismal 28% on Rotten Tomatoes,Barb Wirehas since become a beloved cult hit. Its retelling ofCasablancaset against a dystopian futuristic America has landed it in the so-bad-it’s-good category.
Why Pamela Anderson’s Barb Wire Bombed With Critics & At The Box Office
Pamela Anderson’s highly anticipated 1996 film Barb Wire became a critically panned project and a box-office flop, but what actually happened?
Superhero Moviehas a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 16% — even lower thanBarb Wire— but it’s a pretty spot-on spoof of 2000s superhero films. It parodies Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manby way ofAirplane!andThe Naked Gun, and while it doesn’t live up to those Zucker brothers classics, it has plenty of laughs. Unlike most other “Movie” parodies, likeEpic MovieandDisaster Movie,Superhero Movieactually has a unified plot. But most critics would be hesitant to say something nice about a film calledSuperhero Movie.
What Sets The Last Showgirl Apart From Pamela Anderson’s Other Movies
The Last Showgirl Is A Poignant, Honest Drama
What setsThe Last Showgirlapart from Anderson’s previous movies is thatit’s a heartfelt drama with genuine emotion, and it presented a dramatic challenge for Anderson. Anderson has never stepped outside her comfort zone before. Characters like Barb Wire and C.J. Parker are so one-dimensional and thinly drawn that pretty much anyone could play them. There’s a lot more depth and nuance inThe Last Showgirl’s Shelly, andit forced Anderson to look inward to do the part justice.Anderson has reflected on using her own personal experiencesas a fading star to inform herLast Showgirlperformance.
This is the first time critics have taken one of Anderson’s movies seriously because it’s the first time one of her movies has taken itself seriously.
Anderson’s previous movies all relied on cheap entertainment to hold the audience’s attention.Barb Wirerelies on action-packed spectacle;Superhero Movierelies on slapstick gags and crass humor. There’s certainly a place for that kind of thing, but it won’t make the human connection that Anderson’s work inThe Last Showgirldoes.The Last Showgirldoesn’t rely on anything beyond its compelling lead character and the strength of Anderson’s performance in that role. This is the first time critics have taken one of Anderson’s movies seriously because it’s the first time one of her movies has taken itself seriously.
What The Last Showgirl’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For Pamela Anderson’s Career
The Last Showgirl Is The First Movie Of Pamela Anderson’s Hollywood Comeback
The positive reception toThe Last Showgirlis a good sign for Anderson’s long-awaited Hollywood comeback. After the documentary made audiences empathize with her andThe Last Showgirlhas shown them her previously unseen dramatic range, the sky is the limit for Anderson.She’s already got a couple more projects lined upfor the next couple of years. She’s set to star alongside Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin’s love interest intheNaked Gunrebootnext year. An absurdist comedic performance will continue to demonstrate her range after her dramatic turn inThe Last Showgirl.
Pamela Anderson’sNaked Gunreboot is set to be released in theaters on July 09, 2025.
AfterThe Naked Gun, Anderson is set to appear in a supporting role alongside Riley Keough, Callum Turner, and Elle Fanning in the dramatic thrillerRosebush Pruning. Directed by Karim Aïnouz,Rosebush Pruningis a remake of Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 Italian movieFists in the Pocket. The movie currently doesn’t have a release date, but it’ll surely mark another great dramatic performance from Anderson afterThe Last Showgirl.
The Last Showgirl
Cast
The Last Showgirl follows Hannah, a seasoned performer coping with the end of her dance show career after thirty-five years. As she seeks a new purpose, she also works to strengthen the bond with her estranged daughter.
