Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Matt Sullivan's last big relationship ended in disaster and ever since his heart's been aching and his commitment's been lacking. Then came Lent, that time of year when everybody gives something up. That's when Matt decides to go where no man's gone before and make a vow: No sex. Whatsoever. For 40 straight days. At first he has everything under control. That is until the woman of his dreams, Erica, walks into his life.
40 Days and 40 Nights is a early-2000s sex comedy with a mildly clever premise—a young man swearing off all sexual activity for Lent—that gives it a slight edge in novelty over typical rom-coms of the era. However, the execution is largely formulaic: the plot hits every predictable beat of the genre, the acting from Josh Hartnett and Shannyn Sossamon is competent but unremarkable, and the cinematography is flat and workmanlike. The ending, which includes a deeply problematic sexual assault played for laughs rather than addressed seriously, is both narratively unsatisfying and ethically troubling. Overall it lands near its middling reputation.