Flesh (1968) on Netflix
Joe, a heroin junkie in New York City, sells sex to men and to women to support his habit. He needs the money for an abortion for Geri, his pregnant wife.
- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb5.6/102,788 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes75%
Trailer
Plot summary
Joe is a young, handsome hustler who lives in New York City and sells sex to men and to women. He needs the money to support his heroin habit and to pay for an abortion for Geri, his pregnant wife. The story covers a single summer day. Geri is emotionally unsettled and stays at home with her lover, Patti, and with friends, moving between anxiety, boredom and resentment. Joe goes into the city looking for clients, among them Jackie and Candy, a wealthy woman who pays him for sex. He also passes time with drag queens and with other hustlers. Some of the men and women he meets are delusional or damaged.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Flesh (1968)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- After a member of the public complained, police raided the Open Space Theatre during Flesh's London run on 3 February 1970 and confiscated the film; they decided not to prosecute and screenings resumed on 18 March, though the theater was later convicted on licensing technicalities.
- Although Paul Morrissey was credited as the writer, Jed Johnson said in 1970 that the dialogue was improvised: Morrissey would give the actors a sentence on a topic and let them improvise while the camera rolled.
- An image of Joe Dallesandro in Flesh appeared on the front cover of The Smiths, the English band's 1984 debut LP.
- Flesh marked the screen debuts of Warhol superstars Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling, both of whom appear in the film.
- Flesh was based on the real-life experience of its star, Joe Dallesandro, who had worked as a male hustler.
