Lucky Bastard (2013) | Rotten Tomatoes

Lucky Bastard

NC-17

Released Apr 5, 2013

1h 34m

Mystery & Thriller

List

54%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

35%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

A shy man (Jay Paulson) is pushed to a breaking point when he wins a contest to have sex with his favorite porn star and discovers what truly awaits him.

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Critics Consensus

Lucky Bastard takes its lurid premise in some interesting directions -- albeit perhaps not quite as interesting as the story seems to think.

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

[Nathan], who co-wrote the clever, resourceful and at times darkly wry script with Lukas Kendall, effectively combines the eclectic footage (kudos to editor Tony Randel) to form a kicky, highly involving narrative.

Mar 6, 2014

Full Review

Peter Labuza

Variety

None of the murders is particularly well staged (the sound effects feel distinctly off), yielding little in the way of suspense.

Feb 21, 2014

Full Review

John DeFore

Hollywood Reporter

Less exploitative and a bit smarter than its seedy adult-film setting would suggest.

Feb 21, 2014

Full Review

Hope Madden

Screen Relish

It's hard to tell whether LUCKY BASTARD is an earnestly conceived, whole-hearted attempt, or an opportunistic way to cash in on the titillation of porn and violence by creating a cautionary tale about porn and violence.

Rated: 3

Apr 4, 2019

Full Review

Abbie Bernstein

Assignment X

For thriller fans who can take some tough fare - especially those with deep suspicions about "reality" programming -- Lucky Bastard is a real find.

Rated: B+

Jan 26, 2019

Full Review

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

Two contrived things, found-footage and porn, combine to create a flick that is distasteful and downright disgusting in so many ways.

Jun 5, 2014

Full Review

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Audience Member

Something is missing...

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The real challenge of this movie for me was trying to stay awake. You can read my full review at... http://revronmovies.blogspot.com/2014/09/lucky-bastard.html

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The found footage offers a rawness to the film, and the actors do a great job of melting into that false reality. I say RENT IT!!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The first half of Lucky Bastard is better than it probably deserves to be given the crude subject matter and dialogue because it offers insight into an industry that is frowned upon by most. However, the latter half is less insightful and more inhuman, leaving a dirty taste in the viewers' mouth and squandering what could have been a welcome addition to the found footage genre.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

'Lucky Bastard' is a bracingly original found footage film which is well-acted and effectively creepy. It builds up plenty of suspense and thrills while being often unpredictable and entertaining. The only let-down is that it didn't seem to make the most of its NC-17 rating, the ideas were there, the execution just seemed a tad bit too safe.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

daniel h

A film that is trying to be a condemnation of the adult film industry. It fails at every step of the way. Yes, it's characters (except for the psycho) are likable and have good chemistry together but the last 30 minutes push the boundaries of taste....even for myself. Skip it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Robert Nathan

Director

Betsy Rue

Ashley Saint

Don McManus

Mike

Jay Paulson

Dave G.

Chris Wylde

Kris

Deborah Zoe

Suzanne

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Synopsis

A shy man (Jay Paulson) is pushed to a breaking point when he wins a contest to have sex with his favorite porn star and discovers what truly awaits him.

Director: Robert Nathan
Producer: Jim Wynorski
Screenwriter: Lukas Kendall, Robert Nathan
Production Co: Vineyard Haven
Rating: NC-17 (Explicit Sexual Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Runtime: 1h 34m

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