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Sunset Blvd.
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Sunset Blvd.

1950
Romance, Drama
1h 50m
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Avg Percentile 78.42% from 5142 total ratings

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(5142)
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Rated 06 Mar 2007
6
98th
Probably the best movie-about-movies ever made (though 8½ gives it a run for its money). Everything about this is absolutely perfect - the script (one of the best ever written), the performances (Swanson is legendary, and Holden gives both a great performance and great narration), Wilder's direction, the wonderful black-and-white cinematography...the best product of Hollywood's golden age, and a cinematic treasure.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
5
93rd
Billy Wilder's masterpiece is one of the best movies about movies, and a somewhat unconventional noir, but it's just as suspenseful and enigmatic as the best of them. Wilder's notorious perfectionism as a screenwriter is evident (one of the best scripts ever written), and I really love William Holden's narration. Gloria Swanson steals the show with an iconic performance, and Erich von Stroheim is a nice bit of meta-casting.
Rated 19 Jan 2009
5
96th
With Sunset Blvd, Billy Wilder pulls off a neat trick: as Joe is drawn further and further into Norma Desmond's hermetically sealed world of delusion and madness, we as an audience are sucked in right along with him. It's a simple story, complemented by sharp dialog and excellent performances. Wilder directed two definitive films during his career: Double Indemnity, the definition of film-noir, and Sunset Blvd, the best exploration of the nature of celebrity. See it.
Rated 02 Jan 2015
100
98th
Is that a whip crackin' or Billy Wilder's dialogue? I hate to admit it but I am usually hesitant to watch anything made before 1960 , not because of it being b/w but the movies that came after rotted my brain: I've seen it all , blah blah blah. I haven't seen anything like this.
Rated 28 Jan 2007
95
94th
One of my favorite noirs. As with so many good film noirs, a sense of dread and hopelessness hangs over everything and everyone.
Rated 04 Feb 2007
100
99th
A true American golden agre classic. Everything fits perfectly.
Rated 23 Feb 2007
94
97th
Gloria Swanson is absolutely amazing in this. Great script incredibly enhanced with the cameos and blending of realism with the fictional story.
Rated 30 Aug 2007
91
98th
Flawless movie showing us the point of view of a struggling screenwriter who ended up at a mysterious gothic mansion on Sunset Blvd., I loved the films pace, it was such a easy watch (never bores you), excellent story and interesting characters, all of them really, everyone talks about Swanson, but i thought Holden was just as good. A revealing daring peek behind the scenes of Hollywood, sortof.
Rated 27 Mar 2009
95
98th
What a gorgious film noir with Gloria Swanson who played a perfect role, amazing expressions of her. The end was really awesome with her !!!
Rated 05 Jan 2016
88
95th
Funny, tragic, mysterious, romantic and nightmarish, it flawlessly combines clever satire and dreamy melodrama into a noirish masterpiece that's both a vicious criticism of Hollywood and a melancholic love-letter to it. It's exquisitely layered without an inch of heavy-handed exhibitionism. Acting is great all around with Swanson being the obvious stand-out. In terms of directing it's like a Swiss watch and never gets buried under that great dialogue. Influence on David Lynch is obvious.
Rated 14 Apr 2007
100
95th
A classic. Dark, funny, clever, still unique after over 50 years. I showed this movie to a foxy blonde I know and she gave me a kiss on the lips afterwards. Woo!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
97th
Sharp and funny, with some deeply unsettling moments. Compelling all the way through.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
97th
One of the best film noirs ever made, extremely interesting piece about an aging film star and her effect on the people around her.
Rated 23 Sep 2007
100
99th
Simply my favorite movie! Everything about it--the tone--Holden's narration as a (we eventually discover) corpse--Swanson--Stroheim (jeez, he's creepy!). Cecil B DeMille's in it too--as is Jack Webb (!), playing a happy go lucky guy (!!)--in fact, the first time I saw it I didn't even recognize him; I later remembered that his name had been in the titles, and then went back and deduced that he had been Artie. Also features a cameo by legendary B-movie bimbo Yvette Vickers (when she was 14!).
Rated 24 Sep 2008
95
87th
Amazing noir from the golden ages. I can't describe how good this is in just a tiny mini-review. This is the definition of : classic.
Rated 03 Oct 2008
92
92nd
Sunset Blvd. is a terrific film from start to finish. It never becomes boring, it has an excellent pace all the way through, and the performances are excellent, most notably the leadng players (Swanson, Holden, Stroheim). The script is absolute magic, there is honestly not a bad thing I can say about this film, it seemed almost perfection, but for some reason I didn't like it nearly as much as I should have. Sunset Blvd. is a must see.
Rated 18 Feb 2009
100
99th
Unforgettable dialogue from an unforgettable character (who behaves that way because she *has* been forgotten).
Rated 21 Apr 2009
98
99th
Billy Wilder goes overboard with subtextual irony on this immensely quotable masterpiece. "I am big. It's the pictures that got small." I'd like to point out that pretty much summarizes my tastes in cinema; I like them big and unreal, cruel silver screen goddesses which will rain fire and ashes on our coconut palms if we do not worship them.
Rated 13 Jun 2009
7
68th
With a PSI of 99, an imdb top 250 ranking (#26), and a rotten tomatoes score of 98% I could realistically only be disappointed. And I mostly was because of that. It's a good movie, no doubt, but I had too high of expectations. Some of the moments are really dated (wow, a woman is buying things for a man!) and the music is unnecessarily dramatic at times, even becoming laughable. This movie owes everything to Wilder. Without him it would've been a complete joke. Swanson is good too.
Rated 16 Jan 2012
90
92nd
A magnificent picture on every level. The dynamic B&W cinematography is just ridiculously great; every shot inside that mansion has oodles of different shades of grey just perfectly playing off one another. William Holden is a great cad, and Gloria Swanson practically redefines derangement with her performance. As with every Wilder film I've seen, the script simply crackles with wit and profundity. It's just a brilliant film.
Rated 14 Apr 2016
91
92nd
Hollywood's mid-life crisis acted out by its once-brightest star reading into astrology charts to affirm her eternal place among the cosmos as another year was turning and the sun setting on tinsel-town's first generation of trailblazers. Swanson is absolutely smouldering as the woman scorned. Hell hath no fury.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
94
98th
Wonderful noir, even the clichéd aspects take nothing away from how wonderful it is. Swanson delivers an amazing performance.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
98
98th
Sunset Blvd. is the kind of movie that has gone down in the film history books as a signature classic that should be seen by everyone. From start to finish Sunset is a movie that is almost completely without flaws. It has superb writing, direction, and acting, not to mention some of the most beautiful frame and lighting work ever caught on screen.
Rated 06 Jul 2007
100
90th
The outsanding script and acting in particular makes this movie one of the best ever made. Good in all other areas though. Gloria Swanson delivers one of the best performances I've ever seen. Absolutely brilliant.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
98
97th
Gloria Swanson is divine.
Rated 17 Aug 2007
80
84th
Awesome flick that shows how washed up old actors were pathetic and creepy even 60 years ago. Nice to know some things stay the same.
Rated 24 Oct 2007
100
98th
The monkey funeral. Jack Webb's swinging party. The poker game with "the waxworks". The Isotta-Fraschini cruising up to the Paramount gates. One of the best movies ever made.
Rated 03 Sep 2008
95
98th
All right, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up.
Rated 21 Oct 2008
10
97th
(2nd viewing) Another film that grows on me, it may not be as visually impressive as other American classics like Citizen Kane, but taking just the script into consideration, it's a personal favorite now together with Pulp Fiction. An ode (or maybe an angry letter) to Hollywood that used to be, back when they made great films year after year, but has now decayed into the realms of dementia like its main character and became only interested in fame and fortune. Highly recommended !!!
Rated 29 Nov 2008
100
99th
A summit of self-reflexive cinema, aided in no small part by Wilder's genius casting (who better to play a destitute silver screen legend and a fallen titan of the silent era than... a destitute silver screen legend and a fallen titan of the silent era?) This is "mise-en-abime" at its most vertiginous.
Rated 09 Jan 2009
90
94th
The story is told in an almost perfect. An unusual amount of talk and sequences anthologies, in addition to using their own film industry to create the plot and at the same time, to make your criticism to yourself. Gloria Swanson is excellent in its interpretation, which involves the excellent climate created.
Rated 11 Jan 2009
75
51st
Heavily overrated. One-dimensional characters, nothing interesting in the cinematography, and the script, despite a few quotable lines, is otherwise standard-fare. Swanson manages to push a character designed to be over the top over the edge. The plot turns are excessively predictable.
Rated 01 Apr 2010
59
53rd
One of those all time greats that just doesn't totally work for me. Has a really cold and dry feel to it, and I really wasn't moved that much. I believe it's very well done and intelligent, but just didn't like it on a personal level.
Rated 10 Jan 2012
70
49th
It's interesting at the start but then it just keeps dragging and dragging. All throughout it is remarkably devoid of an emotional glue to hold everything together, whether out of failure on Wilder's part or just age catching up to it. When the final scene was playing I was sitting there thinking that this had all the elements of something great, but it didn't feel that way, and that about sums up the entire thing for me - hollow characters, hollow script, hollow criticisms.
Rated 18 Jun 2017
81
90th
Realistically speaking, I know you're trading the finality of silent era films with the cluster that is childhood acting, but honestly, why do we love this and not Dickie Roberts?
Rated 31 Mar 2007
97
79th
I thought Tennyson was appropriate (paraphrising [or revising], of course): "[Cameras] to the right of them, [Cameras] to the left of them, [Cameras] in front of them, ...Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and to die."
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
Brilliant, haunting, and very odd.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
73rd
Some really magnificent shots, and fabulous snappy dialogue.
Rated 13 Nov 2007
82
35th
Go figure, fifty years on, the film itself starts behaving like Norma Desmond: confident of its importance, its beauty, its fan base (now mostly fogeys and film-school wastrels). But really, it offers us nothing in 2007: Hollywood "dark side" scab-picking (circa anytime, but especially 1949) ain't exactly eternal.
Rated 09 Sep 2008
6
95th
Wow.
Rated 26 Sep 2008
100
99th
A perfect film if ever there was one. I was reluctant to give out my first 100, but, dammit, Sunset Blvd.
Rated 17 Jan 2009
84
86th
Written extremely well, Holden's character and narration are amazing, and Erich von Stroheim should have gotten an Oscar, but Gloria Swanson can get a little overbearing at times, as if she is overacting but when you take into account her character I guess it's pretty damn good. It's a great movie, but somehow at times it's just not as interesting as I had hoped. The last half hour is amazing.
Rated 27 Jan 2009
100
99th
I am a 100! It's the 95s that got small! It's not really a noir. It is really a good movie though. Don't mean to go off but it's quite the study of what we're willing to do to become what we want to be. What we're willing to believe.
Rated 09 Apr 2009
84
71st
Interesting and controversial, but over acting and draggy spots hamper it.
Rated 14 Jun 2009
95
99th
Up until now I only had heard about it, being a masterpiece. I must say that I wasn't disappointed. An interesting story, maybe not so innovative to the audience today as it was in 1950, however very well performed by the actors, especially Gloria Swanson who is hilarious in her own regard. What I most liked about the film was the topic of the first generation of movie stars (of the silent era) now (in 1950) being forgotten and what kind of consequences that can have.
Rated 30 Jun 2009
86
94th
Very nicely crafted film, with excellent dialogue.
Rated 29 Jan 2010
97
97th
A classic noir and a classic film about Hollywood. Plus a monkey's funeral. Who could ask for more?
Rated 20 Oct 2010
95
98th
Amazing script, amazing acting, great cinematography. This might be the first movie that springs to mind when I think of Hollywood.
Rated 17 Feb 2011
43
59th
uninteresting story. way ahead overrated
Rated 10 Mar 2011
89
74th
Great Noir from the early 50's. Holden and Swanson are great and I really enjoyed the style of the movie. The narrative is great. Absolutely classic!
Rated 01 Feb 2012
75
68th
I'm afraid I'd consider this as not worthwhile if it's wasn't for Gloria Swanson, who wraps up the development of 40 years of american acting in this performance. So perfectly overplayed and terrifying, that she steals the entire picture. Also, the many gimmicks and interetextual elements are great, as are the grand ol' men, Cecil B. DeMille and Erich von Stroheim. But ultimately, I think it's a problem that it's not a real love story, nor a thriller, nor noir. It's to much in a genre vacuum.
Rated 01 Dec 2012
70
33rd
Criticker predicted a 94 for me on this one. I almost feel bad giving it such a bland rating! The film didn't click with me. I love Wilder's Double Indemnity and The Apartment, but Sunset Blvd. strikes me for some reason as banal, dull - it features none of the exaggerated situations or despair that I love in noir. The characterizations are good, and I want to love the exploration of Norma and Joe, but it's not happening.
Rated 08 Jan 2014
95
98th
Brilliant and profound -- possibly even prophetic -- Sunset Blvd. might be the greatest indictment on the fickleness of celebrity ever on film, to the point that I'm amazed Paramount was on board with it at all. Great in nearly every way, but the score was bloated and off-putting, though that was generally the case circa 1950. Ultimately, however, a great film -- both a product of its time, yet, conceptually, timeless.
Rated 31 Dec 2014
89
97th
That Joe Gillis is such a self-loathing, weak-minded loser - even keeps narrating over Norma Desmond's big scene. Really deserved to get shot.
Rated 30 Jan 2015
99
99th
When I've been asked "What's your type of girl?", I've always said, "I could sit here and run off a list of characteristics that make up my 'type,' and then someone who is the exact opposite of all of those things will walk in and blow my mind." Sunset Boulevard is That girl. I don't know what else I could say that would justify my rating without making it seem like it's a joke.
Rated 05 May 2015
90
94th
More than anything Sunset Blvd. is about how completely different people can both escape reality by using each other, both underestimating their delusions in terms of ability to get back on track, stuck forever in the predicament Hollywood allowed to put themselves in
Rated 03 Jun 2017
45
18th
I prefer the pictures that got small.
Rated 20 Sep 2017
35
19th
Banal and overwrought plot, nauseatingly hokey dialogue, and cringe-inducingly hammy acting. The voiceover narration is the "icing on the cake". I'm sorry to go against the tide here, but it's a bad movie by a wildly inconsistent filmmaker.
Rated 27 Jun 2019
79
61st
As a film about Hollywood, you can obviously see how it lead the way in future pictures about the motion picture industry. You can tell there are some almost docudrama style stories involved here as they built the world of Hollywood, past and present. And that, to me, was some of the problem. The narrative, at times, would lack engagement as it didn't have a POV, theme, or ideas on how work destroys ones psyche. Still, while uneven, Swanson is a kooky delight. Psychopaths sell like hotcakes!
Rated 01 Mar 2007
80
95th
Classic.
Rated 28 Jun 2007
50
34th
what's the big fucking deal
Rated 11 Aug 2007
90
86th
Classic "Hollywood Gothic" with Gloria Swanson doing her drapery-chewing thing. Look for Buster Keaton in a quick shot.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
97th
One of the old-school classics, featuring a stunning performance by Gloria Swanson. A definate must see for all movie buffs, young and old alike.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
79th
Very well made classic that earned that distinction.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
93
82nd
You should see my Gloria Swanson imitation. It's awesome.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
95th
my TOP 10 film!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
91st
Unique, fascinating, other adj. like that.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
80th
Bleakly funny with eeriely appropriate casting.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
You'd better believe she's ready for her close up!
Rated 11 Nov 2007
95
90th
This film is chilling and utterly enjoyable. I love Gloria Swanson's performance!
Rated 16 Nov 2007
45
44th
it's a classic, but dated, i think.
Rated 20 Jan 2008
78
79th
Dead Man Walking -story but noting tricky this time. This movie is one of David Lynch "favourites"; there's the famous Gordon Cole character. :7 Astoning apartment of old Silent movie star.
Rated 07 Mar 2008
92
61st
Fun mix of drama and strange characters!
Rated 28 Jul 2008
89
75th
The film had a great look and terrific characters.
Rated 06 Aug 2008
97
97th
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Usually I'm not too into film noirs, but the plot of this movie is immortal and powerful (yes, just like a star).
Rated 11 Aug 2008
90
92nd
Best voice-over ever?
Rated 24 Aug 2008
90
85th
This is an amazing film in that it makes a rather tame subject interesting. Honestly, though, I wanted more action! Bang! Bang! Bang! Dead people everywhere! Additionally, not enough noir cinematography for what is considered the greatest film noir. Additionally, the film is great from a historic perspective: it was very daring and did many things in an unconventional fashion...nonetheless, The Third Man is still a better noir!
Rated 06 Oct 2008
91
94th
Amazing film.
Rated 26 Aug 2009
91
98th
Wonderfully atmospheric, impressively lit and shot. The dialogue is quite clever and the delivery of Swanson is simply perfect.
Rated 23 Jan 2010
23
3rd
I am amazed that this movie is so highly regarded. I just don't get it. Maybe it was revolutionary back when it was released but I didn't like it at all. The only interesting plot point was that Max the butler was her old director. Everything else was incredibly predictable. Also, I don't understand how Gloria Swanson's performance wasn't considered terrible. Her character was so ridiculously... just ridiculous. So stupid. So unrealistically exaggerated. I don't get it. So amazing to me. ???????
Rated 10 Dec 2010
80
91st
Like Gilda (another hollywood film-noir from the same era), Sunset Blvd pretty much belongs to one charecter/actress. But while Gilda becomes very annoying at some point and Rita Hayworth Obviously isn't enough to make a film worth watching, Gloria Swanson and her character are magnificent. The plot is wonderful but the direction (especially at the final scene) is medicore and doesn't fulfil the huge dramatic potential that the story and the actress has. Still, it's great.
Rated 22 Dec 2010
50
97th
Great, great movie and there's not much else to say. Some of the best voice-over narration I've ever heard.
Rated 15 Jan 2011
90
93rd
Deservedly labelled a classic. This dark tale of faded fame from the flipside of Hollywood has an amazing cast and an impressive set of cameos. A minor complaint is the Olson/Holden love story that seems a little underdevelopped. But what an exit!
Rated 17 Jan 2011
83
60th
without the great ending, it would be a horrible movie.
Rated 31 Jan 2011
75
63rd
Nicely shot and amusing black comedy / melodrama. Erich von Stroheim is superb as the butler.
Rated 09 Feb 2011
95
98th
If you ever needed a proof that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts, this is it! Film noir, melodrama, satire, homage, tragedy. Sunset Blvd. manages to be all of the above, perfectly.
Rated 04 Apr 2011
70
69th
Fantastic plot, too bad it's centred around an uninvolving voice-over. Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond is incredible.
Rated 11 Jun 2011
82
96th
This has a slow, creeping inevitability to it, that builds from its cold film noir style to a chilling conclusion. Gloria Swanson's expressions are perfection. I think one of the better complements that I can give to this is that it features better acting and writing than the other movie-about-movie-stars of the year, All About Eve, which ought to be nearly impossible.
Rated 04 Jul 2011
70
71st
Gloria Swanson carries this film on her shoulders... If it hadn't been for her, it would just have been a mediocre film...
Rated 08 Jul 2013
75
75th
Acting like a crazy person in the fifties: open your eyes very wide, all the time.
Rated 06 Jan 2015
100
98th
I had such an intense emotional reaction to the end of the film, it was weird. I knew what was going to happen, but all of a sudden, I became an emotional mess. Swanson is campy and over-the-top, but is grounded in reality enough that her struggles and issues feel relatable. Each shot of this film is a real treat -- visually beautiful.
Rated 25 Feb 2015
65
59th
I don't like Billy Wilder's movies.
Rated 12 Jul 2015
95
97th
Norma Desmond is one of my favorite characters ever written, in any medium - and Gloria Swanson brings her to life in unimaginably compelling fashion. It's amazing how little this has aged (apart from the noir-ish framing device, which is admittedly very fifties).
Rated 15 Jul 2018
9
94th
Immediately the snappy narration and excellent cast had me sucked into the story of a hack writer's financial woes. And when Joe reached that house on Sunset Blvd, it was like falling into a dream... yet it remained grounded, portraying Norma believably and with infinite pathos, a villain and victim all at once. Truly this floored me in more ways than I can say, and if I'm holding off on a 10 it's only because I thought it lost some focus in the 2nd half. Regardless, this is an instant favorite.
Rated 21 Aug 2018
85
90th
Hauntingly beautiful
Rated 05 Dec 2019
85
86th
Honestly, at the time of its release it was probably the most psychologically complex film ever made. The three main characters have so much depth and complexity and pathos that you're able to empathize with them even when they do terrible things to another, and absolute kudos to Wilder for not just a solid script but stellar casting choices as well, It's aged terrifically well compared to films of it's time and is all-around excellent.
Rated 17 Nov 2021
80
45th
An iconic and significant film that just never quite grabbed me like I was expecting. The scenes at the Hollywood lot are actually my favorite as I felt really sad for Norma and the ending is undeniably great. Yet, I just never totally found myself completely invested and I'm not sure why. Perhaps the acting is a little too exaggerated for me? I know it's how it was but it felt a bit hammy. I dunno. Maybe I'll see it again eventually.
Rated 14 Feb 2022
85
80th
There's a slight detachment that prevented me from getting attached enough to these characters to put this up to a 90, but I did quite enjoy it and think it was really well made in other ways. There's a certain sadness and apprehension that looms over everything. The love story with Betty felt forced, but I still felt disgust about what Joe did. A few of the very dry jokes actually made me chuckle, but by no means would I label this a comedy.
Rated 08 Jan 2024
85
64th
Image and the industry of image making up the most glorious dream of lovability and livelihood, or the most horrifying nightmare of lovelessness and lifelessness. A beautiful and well-made early attempt on this theme.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
95
95th
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