Despite the constant tangents weighted by explicit-if-true dialogue about sex, Apatow imbues some impressive and rewarding commentary about creating healthy relationships. How often can a sex comedy claim that?

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 8, 2024

The film wouldn’t be nearly as funny if we didn’t believe these characters or care about their relationships, and Apatow and his collaborators deliver on both counts.

Full Review | Aug 9, 2022

Just the basic pitch is enough to evoke smirks - coupled with the theatrical posters, featuring a bright-eyed, innocent-looking Carell.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 25, 2020

Carell co-wrote the script with director Judd Apatow, and you can feel their respect and affection for the characters.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 8, 2020

Not much to it, but if your curiosity is piqued by the title, the goofy, guilty-pleasure laughs will just keep coming.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 17, 2020

This film is superbly funny...

Full Review | May 18, 2020

Carell and Keener have nice chemistry that is missing in a lot of romantic comedies. But that relationship is surrounded by a very raunchy, yet funny, adult comedy.

Full Review | Nov 19, 2019

Within its very mainstream, crowd-pleasing confines The 40 Year Old Virgin is actually a pretty enjoyable confection with a high gag quotient.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 1, 2018

The 40-Year-Old Virgin knows what it's doing.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2018

On screen that takes about one minute in the final consummation, but in the case of the 40-Year-Old-Virgin, the film, the audience gets screwed for 90 minutes straight.

Full Review | Aug 24, 2017

Judd Apatow might have been crowned the savior of American comedy, but the brutal truth is that he peaked with this, his first major hit. Sadly, so did Steve Carell. So savor this perfect moment that they shared, and scripted, together.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Sep 25, 2010

A pleasant surprise, The 40 Year Old Virgin stands apart from other gross out comedies mainly because of how it deals with the films main theme.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 7, 2010

Simultaneously subversive and reactionary

Full Review | Sep 1, 2009

Leave it to Judd Apatow to take a simple concept you'd find in basically any sex comedy, and add his own original twist on it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 29, 2009

Mr. Carell and Mr. Apatow traffic in random humor and though their ability to sustain it is impressive, it's at the expense of any real emotion. Which is a bit ironic.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 14, 2007

Appeals equally to fans of no-holds-barred gross-out movies and those looking for something more intelligent. It's hilarious, surprisingly perceptive, and even sweet.

Full Review | Original Score: 77/100 | May 16, 2007

An infuriatingly-offensive, soft-porn primer on how to treat girls as objects who exist at the disposal of men.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/4 | Apr 15, 2007

The movie belongs to Carell, who takes a one-joke role and turns him into a three-dimensional human being.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2007

If it were 20 minutes shorter, it would be that much closer to perfect.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2006

There are lots of stereotypes about grown-up virgins, but the film stands these stereotypes on their head, so much so that, by the end, our protagonist seems like the sanest character of the bunch.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 1, 2006