Britney Spears' 'Criminal' music video: Too steamy?

(Image credit: Screen shot)

last updated 8 January 2015

The video: The video for Britney Spears' latest single, "Criminal," was already deemed controversial for allegedly glamorizing gun violence when it was shot in East London last month. Now, the Bonnie and Clyde-themed music video (watch it below) has been officially released, and gun violence is just the tip of the iceberg. Spears co-stars with her real-life boyfriend, talent agent Jason Trawick. His character rescues Spears from an abusive relationship, then leads Spears on a crime spree that's, naturally, frequently interrupted so the two can engage in very-naked sex scenes that some critics consider extreme, even by Spears' standards.

The reaction: "There's a reason we don't like to see real-life couples [have sex] in movies," says Melinda Newman at HitFix. It's an uncomfortably voyeuristic experience. "This video left me wanting to hop in that shower to wash 'Criminal' off me." Yes, the "steamy shower sex" made us feel like we we were watching one of "Britney and Jason's… um, private videos," says The Huffington Post. But, at least the storyline, dialogue, and acting are classically kitschy — hinting that, thankfully, "the old, playful Britney is back." Judge for yourself: