Julian Sands, Sherilyn Fenn, Bill Paxton

A surgeon becomes obsessed with the seductive woman he once had an affair with. Refusing to accept that she has moved on, he amputates her limbs and holds her captive in his mansion.

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42% liked it

1,674 ratings

R, 106 min.

Directed by: Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Release Date: September 3, 1993

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DVD Release Date: April 10, 2001

Stats: 396 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (396)


  • January 20, 2008
    Bizarre
  • July 8, 2007
    Nobody has really heard of it, but it was on etv (free TV, for those not born of South Africa). So I checked it out for what was roughly half an hour (it is only an hour and a half or so). Good thing I switched off then.

    The plot is convoluted - or tries to be. The desire Nick C...( read more)avanaugh (Julian Sands) feels in the film is brought across as unrealistically maniacal, and not seductive and 'juicy' (may I say juicy?).

    The film was passed off as 18+ in South Africa, but quite unnecessarily so. Not that there isn't enough sex and violence, but I mean, why? If you understand me, many restriction - worthy aspects are quite needlessly thrown in for good measure.

    Average, but only because bad filmmaking is so very fascinating.
  • May 14, 2007
    A God-awful movies. Director Jennifer Chambers Lynch(David Lynch little girl) seems to have convinced herself that she's made a movie as great as her father's Blue Velvet when really it's just a boring version of showgirls.
  • November 5, 2006
    This movie was unforgivable.
  • July 5, 2009
    So I think the proper way to start this monstrous review is to ask all the Flixterites out there: Are you all fucked in the head? This was a fantastic movie. Jennifer Chambers Lynch sufficiently "Lynched" my brain. Just as she did in her latest fiasco: Surveillance. Not easily co...( read more)mparable, however. Boxing Helena is a far superior film.

    Gosh.. what did I even like about this movie? Maybe I am the one that's fucked in the head.

    I was immediately drawn in to the story. I usually don't fall for these types of films, but what kind of film is this? There is something about carnal desire and sick obsession that makes for a highly entertaining turn of events.

    Jennifer Lynch, just as her father, takes sick to a new level, and turns it in to art. She is automatically compared to her father with all of her work, and she is heavily criticized by a lot of you assholes out there in Flixterland. But I wouldn't say that her work falls short of her father's. I would say that its more of a reincarnation into a new generation. Maybe she was not meant to surpass her father in raw ability, but dedicate all of her work as a homage to her father's work. Why the hell not? That's what I would do if I was David Lynch's daughter.

    I didn't know anything about this movie before I started watching, I knew whatever it was going to be about, that it was going to be sick, I think I mentioned that already. Hehe. I found myself laughing a lot, inappropriately of course. I was surprised at how funny the dialogue ended up being, for how sick and perverse the premise was.

    Brilliant? Or mediocre depravity..? Can a movie as sick as this one be considered classy? I think so. The sickness in this film has very beautiful and deceiving packaging. I think this is the reason I like it so much. It was like dressing up in a tuxedo, only to have shit rubbed in your face. I love it.
  • October 13, 2009
    The Flixster consensus is that this is a very bad film with terrible acting, a bad storyline, and "hack" directing (Because Jennifer Lynch is so not David Lynch). Actually this film is quite interesting. The child perspective intro had me expecting a really bad film (Because that...( read more) part was badly directed) but I had the patience to sit through the whole thing and with the way the majority of the film was handled I'd say the director has some cool films ahead of her. Boxing Helena takes some time to get going and once you know it's principally an "obsessive stalker"-type film it should never cease to entertain after that. The plot is one I hadn't come across before and it was twisted. The acting isn't composed of professional, PROFESSIONAL actors, but it all suits the film; it's good, in fact. So with this, I think Jennifer might even film more interestingly than her father. I've only liked three Lynch films out of his ten (Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, The Straight Story) and one of those (Mulholland Drive) wouldn't even be as great without the creation of this film.
  • September 11, 2009
    talkin bout obsession..
  • August 15, 2009
    Okay, I know this film is horrible and I really, really need to defend myself on this one. Firs off, no. I did not like it because of its campiness (it helped, yes, but it was not the main reason that attracted me to it). I genuinely enjoyed it. Sure, the film is the kind of weir...( read more)d shit you avoid on a regular basis with NBC's soap operas and Julian Sands deserves the Razzie award of the century for his terrible, off-putting performance. But, and this is a great but, it still remains a Sherilyn Fenn vehicle. I mean, even though she has to sink deep down with the material, Fenn still gives a compelling and convincing performance as the titular character; Fenn has so many intriguing qualities to herself, with her beautiful face, sexy voice and the stunning way she could freeze any man with her stare. I mean, she was freaking Audrey Horne and she is definitely one of the most amazingly talented and criminally underrated actresses ever! I love this movie because it at least gives me the opportunity to see her, hear her and be in awe by her. And, surprisingly, I was not bored; the film just goes by without dragging or anything.
  • July 28, 2009
    What a piece of s**t!
    I had kind of high expectations when I started to watch this, sine I love Sherilyn Fenn and Julian Sands otherwise. But this was just pathetic.
    Julian Sands fails misserably at trying to speak with an american accent.
    Sure Sherilyn Fenn looks hot as always, ...( read more)but that doesn't help much when you got a hack directing.
  • July 27, 2009
    diffrent kind of movie but sexii anyway

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  • nbhatti3000
    July 10, 2007
    This is a love story movie in which man loves a woman but she doesn’t love him even she talks to him like he is her servant but man wants her badly because of man she meets with terrible accident she loses her two legs he does all the way he wants to do but still she blames him why she met him man keeps her prisoner his house in the end she sees that man who cares, treats and love all the way even she has no legs to walk but her x-boyfriend finds her?

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Boxing Helena Trivia


  • Cult horror classic in which Julian Sands captures Sherilyn Fenn & does some extensive amputation?  Answer »
  • What's the name of the film about a surgeon who is obsessed with a dark haired beauty and goes to extreme measures to be with her?  Answer »
  • Which actress was originally supposed to star in Boxing Helena but pulled out, causing her to get sued? The role was later played by Sherilyn Fenn.  Answer »
  • What actress was sued for not starring in "Boxing Helena"?   Answer »

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