Damian Hurley's Strictly Confidential is savaged by critics: Star is accused of 'exploiting mother Elizabeth's sex appeal' in 'absolute tosh' directorial debut with 'a screenplay written by him that sounds like it created with AI'

Damian Hurley's Strictly Confidential has been savaged by critics after it was released in selected US cinemas and Prime Video on Friday. 

For his directorial debut, Damian enlisted his mother Elizabeth Hurley, 58, for the film, yet it seems even her star power wasn't enough to save the movie - which has been ripped apart and described as 'absolute tosh'. 

The erotic thriller, written and directed by Damian, 22, follows the tale of a haunted young woman [Georgia Lock] who 'finds herself drawn into a world of seduction, duplicity and betrayal as she desperately tries to uncover the mystery surrounding her best friend's suicide.'

Prior to its release, Strictly Confidential garnered much buzz online, in part due to scenes featuring Elizabeth getting very intimate with another woman.

Yet critics have poked holes in the script and baffling number of twists in the movie, while others voiced their unease at watching Elizabeth take part in racy sex scenes knowing it was her son who directed them. 

Damian Hurley's Strictly Confidential film has been savaged by critics who accused of 'exploiting his mother sex appeal' (Elizabeth Hurley in the film with co-star Pear Chiravara)

For his directorial debut, Damian enlisted his mother Elizabeth for the film, yet it seems even her star power wasn't enough to save the movie - which has been ripped apart

Dennis Harvey at Variety branded the plot 'ridiculous', penning: 'Somewhere around the two-thirds mark, escalating levels of pure tosh begin to perversely work in the movie’s favor. 

'What had been a mildly scenic if paper-thin diversion turns into the kind of joint whose narrative big reveals also trigger big laughs — with considerable help from hackneyed dialogue and some awkward acting moments.'

He did, however, note that it was Damian's first time behind the camera, reasoning: 'Purportedly shot in just 18 days, Strictly Confidential is most kindly viewed as on-the-job training for the junior Hurley, who under those circumstances acquits himself well.'

Jessie Hobson at Cinedump mused that audiences would be 'feeling more bewildered than entertained' during a viewing, explaining: The plot meanders aimlessly, punctuated by strange scenic shots that serve only to extend the runtime. 

She added: 'It's hard to shake the feeling that you're watching something akin to a low-budget late-night Cinemax flick from the '90s. 

'The gratuitous cleavage shots of Elizabeth Hurley only serve to underscore the film's desperate attempts at titillation.' 

Brian Orndorf at Blu-ray.com was equally unimpressed with Elizabeth's portrayal in the film, branding the movie 3/10 and sharing: 'The helmer doesn’t push the picture’s sauciness and he’s mostly fatigued when it comes to blowing minds, but Strictly Confidential does have the novelty of a son exploiting the sex appeal of his mom for the benefit of an otherwise uninteresting whodunit.' 

He added: '[Damian] strives to make a physical event with the feature, but he doesn’t go far when it comes to exposed skin and genuine thespian chemistry, largely focused on blank-faced scenes of lust and keeping Elizabeth in a series of cleavage-boosting outfits.'

Just 2/10 was the rating by Jeffrey Lyles at Lyles Movie Files who mused: 'Elizabeth Hurley gets the film’s raciest scene, which felt weird to watch play out considering her son is shooting it. 

'That’s after realizing Elizabeth Hurley won’t appear in any scene without a seriously plunging neckline. And Damian Hurley has no qualms of zooming the camera in tight for a close up. 

'If it’s possible to have secondhand embarrassment for a mother and son, Strictly Confidential makes it a reality.'

He did, however, praise Damian for crafting: 'an almost passable twist in the final act.'

Prior to its release, Strictly Confidential garnered much buzz online, in part due to scenes featuring Elizabeth getting very intimate with another woman  

Damian revealed his mother Elizabeth had 'promised' to star in his first picture years ago, and when it was greenlit, she 'dropped everything' to take part

The Aisle Seat's Mike McGranaghan wasn't as forgiving, writing: 'Strictly Confidential has a screenplay that sounds like it was written by an AI program that was taught every cheesy, straight-to-cable erotic thriller from the early ‘90s.

'The younger Hurley seems to think parading his mother around in low-cut dresses and having her simulate oral sex with a female co-star is enough. 

'You can’t escape the feeling that the plot is slapped-together nonsense designed to lead from one oversexed moment to the next.'

The plot was also ridiculed by NYC movie guru who wrote: 'To say that the plot becomes increasingly convoluted would be an understatement. Writer/director throws logic and plausibility right out the window. 

'The dialogue is often stilted, the exposition is lazy, and there's too much over-explaining. Damian Hurley throws so many twists and turns at the audience that it's overwhelming. 

'At a running time of 88 minutes, Strictly Confidential is a clunky, convoluted and preposterous mess with enough unintentional laughs to make it a guilty pleasure.'

It wasn't all bad, however, as Markos Papadatos at Digital Journal thought it was a hit, awarding a score of 4.5/5.

He shared: 'Ironically enough, while this is the first full-length movie for Damian Hurley as a director, judging from its quality, artistic direction and his creative vision, one could never tell (and they would think that Damian is a seasoned professional).

'Overall, Strictly Confidential is an intense, dark, vivacious, and a bumpy adventure. It will certainly keep the audience at the edge of their seats, and at the same time, it will spark some conversations amongst viewers.' 

Prior to the film's release, Damian declared that he was unbothered directing his mother in the steamy scenes (pictured at the premiere on Wednesday) 

Prior to the film's release, Damian declared that he was unbothered directing his mother in the steamy scenes.

The model insisted that while it may appear 'strange' to regular people, for those who have grown up in the industry as celebrity offspring, it is routine.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he admitted: 'I hate to say that it felt totally normal. I don't know what that says about us.

'I was speaking to a lot of my friends who are also second generation of parents in the industry. They say exactly the same thing: that things to outsiders that may seem totally strange and extraordinary, for us we'll just have grown up with in everyday life.'

Damian added that there was no need for intimacy co-ordinators on set, claiming 'everyone was very comfortable'.

READ MORE: Damian Hurley, 22, hits back at nepo baby criticism as he insists he's been working 'exceptionally hard' since he was a teenager

He explained that Elizabeth taught him about sex when he was 'ludicrously young', insisting that it is a 'beautiful and natural' act, but banning him from watching violence in films.

The mother and son's relationship has raised eyebrows in the past, especially after Elizabeth revealed the secret photographer behind her seemingly endless stream of bikini Instagram posts was in fact Damian.

She made the revelation after uploading a series of sizzling holiday snaps of herself braless and in a bikini for Valentine's Day in 2018, but many were unsure how to take her confession, with several branding the relationship 'weird'.

But Damian insisted he didn't understand why people found it strange, declaring: 'It's business. We don't think about it for any more than point, press, done, post.'

Detailing their relationship, he explained that the pair were more like 'siblings' than parent and child, because it was just the two of them as he was growing up, admitting that their closeness has been even more acute and vital in recent years.

He added that they have 'twin telepathy' to the extent that they can 'have complete conversations just nodding and shaking our heads', saying they are 'extraordinarily alike and in tune'.

Elizabeth, who shares Damian with ex-Steve Bing, previously told Access Hollywood she felt 'safe and looked after' shooting the film.

The Austin Powers star explained that Damian put her at ease on set and described it as 'relaxing' having someone behind the camera who was 'looking out' for her.

Elizabeth explained: 'It's relaxing knowing someone's behind the camera who looks out for you. The things that his script needed me to do weren't necessarily things I'd always done in movies many times.

'But having him there meant that I felt safe and looked-after, and I knew in [post production] he'd look after me.'

She added: 'So actually it's kind of liberating to work with your family. I may do it again.'

Damian agreed with his mom, telling the publication he didn't find the intimate scenes problematic and stressed that the small time frame for shooting meant he couldn't afford to.

He said: 'We felt in our comfort zone, it's very strange. I think, also, when you're on an independent film, you have 18 days to shoot, every single second counts. You can't sit around mulling scenes, thinking 'What if?''

The mother and son's relationship has raised eyebrows in the past, especially after Elizabeth revealed the secret photographer behind her seemingly endless stream of bikini Instagram posts was in fact Damian

Damian added that whilst people found him shooting his mother in skimpy outfits 'controversial' he didn't see it like that.

He said: 'Showbusiness has been a fundamental part of my entire life. So to us, it's not a thing. She takes my photos, I take hers.'

The director spoke to People about the film earlier in the year, revealing Elizabeth had 'promised' to star in his first picture years ago, and when it was greenlit, she 'dropped everything' to take part. 

Strictly Confidential will be released in cinemas and is available on Prime Video.