Sex, Lies And Videotape opened in a limited release on August 4, 1989, in 4 theaters and grossed $155,982, with an average of $38,995 per theater.
Sex, Lies And Videotape was well received in its initial release in 1989 and holds a "certified fresh" rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 reviews with an average score of 7.9 out of 10.