

Caligula
Absolute power corrupts
After the death of the paranoid emperor Tiberius, Caligula, his heir, seizes power and plunges the empire into a bloody spiral of madness and depravity.
TMDB
6.0/10
1,036 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $17.5M
- Box office
- $23.4M
- Language
- Italian
- rome, italy
- roman empire
- historical figure
- ancient rome
- family relationships
- incest
- madness
- political corruption
- peplum
- erotic movie
- italian history
- 1st century
Top billed cast














Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Produced in
Italy, United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United Kingdom. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereNC-17New York City1 Feb 1980
- TheatricalREast Coast16 Oct 1981
- TheatricalRWest Coast5 Feb 1982
- TheatricalRThe Ultimate Cut (178 min.)16 Aug 2024
- PhysicalRThe Ultimate Cut (178 min.)17 Sept 2024
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1830 Oct 1980
- Physical18Arrow Video Blu-ray 20 Feb 2012
- Theatrical18The Ultimate Cut 9 Aug 2024
- Digital / OTT18The Ultimate Cut 9 Aug 2024
- Physical18The Ultimate Cut | Visions Home Video 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray / Blu-ray7 Dec 2026
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalR 18+Bob Guccione version19 Jun 1981
- PhysicalX 18+1 Jun 1984
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1829 Sept 1982
CzechiaCZ
- Physical1 Aug 1993
- Theatrical18+The Ultimate Cut (178 min.)3 Oct 2024
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1517 Jul 1980
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-1824 Sept 1981
FranceFR
- Theatrical162 Jul 1980
- PremiereCannes Film Festival – The Ultimate Cut (178 min.)17 May 2023
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1825 Apr 1980
GreeceGR
- PhysicalK18DVD3 Sept 2002
ItalyIT
- TheatricalVM1814 Aug 1979
JapanJP
- Theatrical18 Oct 1980
- TheatricalR18+The Ultimate Cut23 Jan 2026
Frequently asked questions
Caligula was released on 14 August 1979.
Audience reviews
4- T8/10
talisencrw
3/23/2016
Land sakes!!! They don't make films like this anymore...and that's a dirty rotten shame! =)
- A9/10
Arrrrrrrach
2/21/2017
Walk through a Bosch painting and marvel at the excesses and debauchery. Critics don't take this seriously because a porn producer snipped it up and inserted his own scenes. It is what it is. A near masterpiece.
- A4/10
adorablepanic
4/2/2020
A distinguished international cast; a screenplay by Gore Vidal; respected, award-winning talent behind the scenes; and millions of dollars at its disposal. What could possibly go wrong? Where would you like to start? CALIGULA (1979) had so much potential. I'd like to think that there's another universe where Vidal's much darker original script was given over to, say, Stanley Kubrick. That world now has a SPARTACUS (1…
- C6/10
CinemaSerf
8/10/2024
Now I'll be honest, I think John Hurt ("I Claudius" - BBC - 1976) made a better Caligula, but Malcolm McDowell is still pretty convincing as the despotic sexual deviant who held the ultimate power in the Roman Empire for four years. It ought not to have been a surprise that he turned out the way he did when we are introduced to the decrepitly monstrous Tiberius (Peter O'Toole) on his island paradise of Capri. He live…
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