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The Apartment
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The Apartment

1960
Romance, Comedy
2h 5m
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Avg Percentile 75.84% from 4469 total ratings

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(4469)
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Rated 28 Jan 2007
85
73rd
This is one of those movies that start out like comedies and get more and more serious as they progress -- Groundhog Day is another good example. I thought it only got better and better, as well. The premise of a man lending out his apartment for men to cheat on their wives is clever in itself, but it's the Baxter/Fran/Sheldrake triangle that elevates the movie to greatness.
Rated 15 Nov 2011
97
99th
One of the single best screenplays ever written - I've never seen a film that can shift tone so drastically and so often without feeling jarring. Very funny and clever, with lots of wonderful lines and asides. Lemmon is very effective at portraying every side of Baxter, and MacLaine is just adorable, while the choice to play her character completely straight adds so much. The photography and lighting are excellent. Whimsical and melancholy and near-perfection.
Rated 16 Mar 2007
90
72nd
Starts off as a comedy and flawlessly slips into a drama. So many films try to make this transition and end up feeling like two separate films stuck together, but this one pulls it off with flying colors. Lemmon is fantastic.
Rated 09 Jul 2018
100
97th
A masterclass in mood: particularly romance, humor, & drama. The writing creates a lead who desperately wants something and walks a constant, thriller- esque, tightrope to get it. You're in his shoes as he's made a Faustian deal to accomplish his ends. But, as the story transpires, the sweetness & humor unfold in a way that makes this a perfect hanging out movie. The sexual harassment is dated, but otherwise it is perfect. Kudos to MacLaine and the perfect anamorphic black and white photography.
Rated 30 Jan 2009
93
98th
Everyone has been a pushover at some point in their life, but there comes a time where you have to draw the line...and love is usually as good a reason as any to do so. I must say that Jack Lemmon makes pushovers look a lot cooler than they usually are, but the chemistry between he and Shirley MacLaine is amazing. The Apartment shows that nice guys can indeed finish first.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
A heartwarming comedy about a man letting his bosses fuck their girlfriends in his apartment. This ain't Preston Sturges though, this is Wilder, and It's an often uncomfortable movie that aims more for melancholy smiles than all-out laughs. And because of that it's probably held up all the better. Jack Lemmon is a giant loser, and you gotta love him for it.
Rated 03 Sep 2008
5
93rd
A film that defies simple classification. It's drama, comedy, farce, romance, and almost a tragedy all at once. Billy Wilder was such a great director. Despite this movie's provocative subject matter and cynicism, it's always delightfully fun to watch. A lot of credit goes to Jack Lemmon for that. He's hilarious, and Fred MacMurray and Shirley MacLaine are both great.
Rated 29 Feb 2012
100
99th
Incredible meld of bleak cynicism, touching romance and even sentiment which never puts a foot wrong, thanks to Wilder's expert direction and a trio of career-best performances from Lemmon, MacLaine and MacMurray. Beautiful chilly wide-screen cinematography (ranking amongst the best ever use of wide-screen) and lush musical score are icing on the cake. A wonderful, ultimately warm and charming film, which never eschews the dark undertones of its story.
Rated 31 Aug 2018
96
96th
A masterpiece of tone: addressing some profoundly dark themes in a manner of true respect, neither dismissive nor disparaging, allowing them time to breathe and ultimately, release. The film's humor belies our personal and social dysfunction, revealing both our wounds and the powers that inflict them. The end result is life-affirming catharsis.
Rated 30 Nov 2021
90
92nd
Lemmon constantly coming home to a damp mattress. Wilder is on an entire different level
Rated 14 Jun 2009
5
91st
Lemmon is great, MacLaine is great, MacMurray is great, the script is great, the photography is great, Billy Wilder is great. Yada yada yada, it's Billy Wilder, of course it's great. Very few directors could strike such a great mixture of comedy and melancholy, but Wilder perfectly treads the line between the two.
Rated 22 Sep 2013
93
98th
Wilder develops the plot beautifully, and rather than the shifts in tone being jarring they feed the film's general atmosphere, with the drama giving the comedy more bite and the comedy keeping the drama from becoming overwhelming. The writing is great, but it certainly helps when it's delivered in such great performances. Lemmon is perfect for the lead role, MacLaine is almost as good, and the rest provide memorable moments.
Rated 28 Aug 2016
100
99th
This is a marxist critique of ideology where proletariat becomes a class-for-itself from a class-in-itself through the love of Baxter and Kubelik (love of US with Soviets, respectably). In any narrative, a character who can not speak about truth openly, who is silenced, is the oppressed of that epoch: here, it's Baxter, 'dialecticalwise' he becomes a 'mensch' and reacts against this reification He stands in the middle from Chaplin to W. Allen's Manhattan as a urban lumpen loner, great movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
98th
It's exceedingly rare that you find a film that's such an exquisite blend of comedy & tragedy (& one that actually does justice to both). Billy Wilder is such an incredibly gifted filmmaker that this would certainly not have been the classic that it is without his input. Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine are wonderful.
Rated 27 May 2011
84
97th
Heartbreakingly sweet, and endearingly funny. It's such a great concept, and it really hits a perfect blend of serious drama and comedy that's rare to see in a movie. An absolutely wonderful film.
Rated 07 Jun 2011
88
97th
It's sort of amazing that a film so dark and emotionally complex came out of Hollywood in 1960. The balance between nutty comedy and heavy drama is fantastic. Lemmon is great as the pushover loser who everyone takes advantage of; the scene where he pulls the blades out of his razors is just heartbreaking. On top of everything is the film's concept, which is still cool and clever as hell today.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
98th
These are rich, relatable characters with both charms and imperfections. It's a film of wonderful balance. It can turn from joy to sadness, cynicism to hope at the drop of a hat and it all happens so effortlessly, so naturally. The script is sparkling, I especially enjoyed the clever use of callbacks. And the visual stylization is glorious as well, from the indifferent corporate monolith, to the tacky restaurant, and of course Baxter's apartment, all lit beautifully and shot with intelligence.
Rated 16 May 2008
8
82nd
Billy Wilder is just an incredibly gifted man. Lemmon makes this movie go from OK to just amazing with his amazing performance.
Rated 05 Jan 2009
83
83rd
A fantastic story, Jack Lemmon is great. Can't say I appreciate Shirley MacLaine, she's just too melodramatic. If you're looking for a really good Billy Wilder movie watch "Some Like It Hot!"
Rated 06 Jan 2009
65
87th
Funny in more of a tragic sense, with the balls to be a lot darker than most of the current slew of comedies. As with most Wilder comedies there is the moral core at the center of all of the hedonistic satire.
Rated 05 Jan 2010
100
99th
Flawless. A masterpiece of American film and a monument to human character and kindness. Through all this high class sleaziness, Lemmon's Baxter shows us all what it means to be a "mensch."
Rated 08 Apr 2010
63
54th
It's not a bad movie, of course not, because Jack Lemmon is brilliant here, and the whole movie is very well-acted. But I just think the film is overstated and overrated, despite its modern tone (the feel-good finale is frustrating).
Rated 01 Jul 2010
30
12th
The entire movie feels unnatural, like the script writer was trying to be too clever. Baxter and Kubelik's sudden changes of heart at the end of the movie don't make much sense; they had no motivation other than to provide a neat and tidy happy ending. Lemmon's performance is smug and self-conscious. All in all, a mediocre, predictable, and entirely unimpressive romantic comedy.
Rated 29 Jan 2013
91
91st
Jack Lemmon is funny, and Shirley McLaine has never been more beautiful or enjoyable in a movie. Quite dated, but fun to watch.
Rated 28 Feb 2014
88
91st
Starts as a light-hearted comedy that goes further and further into drama without ever giving up those laughs. These two tones - which sometimes flip mid-scene - are impeccably done, and provide part of the reason for the film's greatness. The other reasons are the brilliant acting and characters, of course. One of Wilder's best.
Rated 21 Jul 2014
85
87th
If my boss wanted to use my apartment to have an affair I would tell that dick to rent a hotel room with the extra money he is not paying me.
Rated 11 Jul 2015
95
97th
A meek office worker suffers at the hands of superiors who use his apartment for their extramarital affairs. It's a rare thing for a screenplay to have comedy and tragedy combine so seamlessly, and Lemmon is outstanding as Baxter - hilarious, downtrodden, always relatable - with MacLaine and MacMurray offering excellent support. The sets, lighting and photography are superb.
Rated 10 Aug 2020
91
90th
Wilder thinks of little visual touches that make scenes more interesting (trying to get Lemmon's attention w/ straw wrappers; how MacLaine presses an elevator button) & the script is mostly great. Finding conflict in having a bachelor pad in the 50s is very original but feels very real & makes perfect sense for the time. The first half is also wonderfully unpredictable. Unfortunately the 2nd half isn't at all & MacLaine takes so long to come around she stops seeming like a catch.
Rated 25 Apr 2021
80
80th
Jack Lemmon makes me anxious when he is talking full speed.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
75
89th
Classic.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
90
86th
Very good comedy. Billy Wilder was a mensch
Rated 29 Feb 2008
100
94th
The best film of 1960. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine deserved Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress.
Rated 16 Aug 2008
100
98th
Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon together are pure gold. And this movie's message still rings so true in today's dog eat dog world. Just beautiful.
Rated 02 Dec 2008
9
90th
An original and downright funny concept from the great Billy Wilder that manifests itself in the 1st hour, but gets overshadowed by the dramatic 2nd half. "The Apartment" still ended up being one of the most enjoyable films I've seen, with almost not a single dull, overwrought, or boring moment. Jack Lemmon's the man !!!
Rated 05 Nov 2009
85
91st
Great acting by MacLaine and Lemmon, witty dialogues and bitter-sweet moments of urban loneliness.
Rated 14 Apr 2010
83
70th
This movie is Jack Lemmon, and he really shines here. Too bad it slowly lost its edge, from an exuberant first half to an inevitable and predictable "Holywood ending".
Rated 12 Jul 2010
96
94th
They should prescribe this film instead of antidepressants; it makes you go all warm and gooey instead. Funny, smart and moving... a film that has aged gloriously. One of my favorite films ever. I watch it every Christmas.
Rated 08 May 2011
80
70th
The story is pretty good, the movie is very well-written, and the acting is great. That said, something about it didn't really click with me.
Rated 16 May 2011
80
86th
Hollywood fiction at its best. If Jack Lemmon can't bring a smile to your face - God have mercy on your soul.
Rated 22 May 2011
90
97th
Billy Wilder finds just the right balance between comedy and drama in this bittersweet film while Lemmon and MacLaine act the hell out of their respective parts. "The Apartment" is a melancholic yet sober take on depression and love with strong emotional resonance. C.C. Baxter's journey towards becoming a mensch is a memorable cinematic glass of wine. Or, better yet, as Fran would have put it: "Shut up and see it for yourself".
Rated 05 Jun 2011
100
97th
One of the best. It has everything (satire, comedy, drama, romance) and pulls it off. Love both protagonists so, so much, and MacMurray plays a terrific heel, as always.
Rated 08 Apr 2012
95
97th
The fact that some aspects of Wilder's Apartment are good ol' clichés at this point, the film serves a funny, moving story about lonely souls in a big city. Stunningly beautifully photographed and greatly capturing the feel of 50s New York, The Apartment is intensely entertaining, watchable and heartfelt. Absolute gem of a film.
Rated 23 Jul 2012
91
83rd
Jack Lemmon gives a phenomenal performance in this most unconventional of romantic comedy-dramas. It's scripted brilliantly, the plot always progressing naturally yet never ever feeling predictable, and the comedic and dramatic elements deftly blended like few films before or since.
Rated 29 Nov 2012
96
94th
The only comedy I've ever seen where every joke makes me feel sadder. Well, intentionally anyway.
Rated 21 Dec 2012
76
80th
Makes a strange transition from a first-half comedy to a second-half drama. But it's a good transition.
Rated 15 Apr 2013
96
99th
Shut up and deal...
Rated 10 Mar 2014
100
92nd
A perfect movie. Genius.
Rated 14 Feb 2015
90
84th
That Shirley MacLaine is cute as a button. Yeah, I think buttons are cute. What of it?
Rated 16 Jun 2016
87
85th
All it's missing is DiCaprio doing coke off the coffee table. The predictable cookie-cutter characters seem ripe for criticism but I think that's part of the film's point, we pity these people for boxing themselves into expectations of the typical. Baxter even introduces himself to the audience by citing the statistics of the average New Yorker - it's the framing joke of the movie. Only in exercising individuality do we find the space to truly be human.
Rated 07 Nov 2016
90
92nd
Wilder deals with sex slyly. Like, we all know what's going on, but it's a wink-wink, nudge-nudge thing. This film is sorta weird, in the sense that it never settles into one genre, and gets really dark. A romantic comedy? Possi-blay.
Rated 06 May 2017
90
84th
when you are When you're in love with a married man, you shouldn't wear mascara
Rated 05 Jun 2017
78
89th
(Viewed on 10/12/13): Few directors balanced comedy and drama as well as Wilder, and The Apartment is an enduring testament to a talent that is rapidly becoming scarce. Lemmon is likeable as Baxter, an average compliant company man who is trying to rise above his station without making waves. He lends his apartment out to his superiors so they can have affairs, but problems occur when he takes a shine to his boss' squeeze. It's surprisingly melancholy for a comedy and is all the richer for it.
Rated 22 Jul 2017
6
31st
about a wussy beta and his co-worker crush friendzoning him while she bangs his married alpha boss until the wuss finally gets alpha enough himself at the end for her evolved instincts to become attracted to him. a horror story.
Rated 20 Feb 2018
98
95th
Billy Wilder delivers the cynical edge that often characterised his work, but balances it with more gentle humour in places, romance and genuinely touching moments of pathos. This is a good story skilfully told, and you can't ask for much more than that.
Rated 19 Sep 2018
6
95th
Underneath this amazingly scripted film (not to mention it looks marvelous) is a critique of capitalism. On how it has made work and home life inseparable from one another. Where the upper classes take everything from you, even your bed. Some are takers and some get took I guess.
Rated 26 Jan 2021
89
94th
This could be a very dark film with very few changes. It's kept light but serious by Shirley MacLaine and especially Jack Lemmon, who really drives the film with his everyman performance.
Rated 05 Feb 2023
93
91st
Finally got around to watching this classic. I've found almost every Billy Wilder movie I've seen to be great. Clever dialogue and good mix of drama and comedy
Rated 19 Sep 2023
98
98th
Proof that "he's just old school/it was just the era" is a completely incorrect excuse. They were making movies about how shitty institutionalized sexual harassment is in 1960. Anyway, there are some genuine laughs with the politics, and the cinematography is flawless. Also, Jack Lemmon, so you know what you're getting from your hero, and no one meshes banality and sliminess together as well as Fred MacMurray.
Rated 15 Jan 2007
73
79th
Very good, very feel-good, romantic comedy. I'm actually not a big Billy Wilder fan but this is one of his few that I truly appreciate. Lemmon and MacLaine are charming.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
90
87th
Há 60 anos Se meu Apartamento Falasse estreava nos EUA. Caralho, não via esse filme há décadas! E só tenho uma coisa a dizer sobre ele: Jack Lemmon é o mais absoluto GÊNIO. SEMPRE. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 16 Mar 2007
90
88th
Billy Wilder directs a bittersweet romance between two losers. A wonderful period piece from the heyday of the Man in the Grey Flannel Suit.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
84
70th
It's hard to really classify this as a specific type of movie. It's not really a romantic comedy or a drama, it's kind of just... The Apartment. Great performances all around. Just a really fun movie to watch, albeit sometimes a little on the disturbing side!
Rated 17 Apr 2007
92
93rd
# 76
Rated 14 Aug 2007
93
92nd
Maybe my favorite romantic comedy ever; extremely sharp and witty.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
63
58th
I have no idea why Wilder directs this as a comedy. It's as cynical and downbeat as Ace In the Hole with only a slight turn towards happiness at the very end when Lemmon grows some balls two hours too late. What is it with Wilder and these weak losers as main characters?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
71st
A sweet and melancholic movie as there can be.
Rated 26 Aug 2007
5
8th
Just an uncomfortable movie. I wish this guy would grow some sack and stand up to his boss.
Rated 09 Sep 2007
82
73rd
A weird mix of comedy, drama and romance. The 'concept'/'idea' behind The Apartment was or still is orginal today.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
97
95th
# 67
Rated 05 Mar 2008
80
79th
This movie never gets old. An all time classic with wonderful performances of Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.
Rated 06 Apr 2008
80
81st
Man is this movie beautiful.
Rated 03 Aug 2008
81
83rd
It's essentially a rom-com, so the characters are a tad on the lightweight side. But the writing is good, the direction spot-on, and the actors do some very good work. It's huge fun to see Fred MacMurray as a cad, rather than his usual nice guy. Lemmon has never been my cup of tea, so I consider "watchable" to be high praise in this instance. And my god...Shirley MacLaine was utterly charming before she became a caricature of herself.
Rated 22 Oct 2008
99
95th
Just watch it.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
97
94th
55
Rated 10 Jan 2009
85
88th
One more classic. One more Billy Wilder. A novel consistent, with a pair of most interesting story: Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon. And that wonderful climate that they give the movie.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
55
60th
Considerably boring. I wouldn't know it was Wilder if it didn't say it was. Still an average movie but the characters are unbuyable. I only love bad boys! I get taken advantage of at work! I'm a mean boss who has cheated before and is cheating now! I hate Jack Lemmon but MacMurray is good, even if it's only because I like to believe that's his Double Indemnity character living out a new life in NYC.
Rated 25 Mar 2009
90
94th
Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray are just perfect here, it's amazing. I love Wilder's cynicism, and although the film takes a rather formulaic turn towards the end, the final scene is genuinely heartwarming. Loved it.
Rated 20 Apr 2009
77
15th
an odd romantic comedy featuring corporate philandering and nice performances from lemmon and maclaine. i can't help but wonder how this won an award for best screenplay as none of the dialogue was particularly memorable. best picture winner. best director award to billy wilder. Hitchcock was robbed (there I said it).
Rated 29 Apr 2009
85
67th
"Shut up and deal." 04/29/2009
Rated 05 Jun 2009
89
96th
A film made with so much care is hard to come by. Beautiful in every way. The clever mix between romance, comedy and drama is unseen. The black&white photography is very well shot. And Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclain and Fred MacMurray really go for it. ... Absolutely heartbraking.
Rated 16 Jul 2009
90
92nd
(SPOILERS) Oh man, I swear to God, if it had ended right after the part where Sheldrake "leaves" his wife for Fran and Baxter decides to leave town it would have been the saddest moment of my live, cinemawise.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
100
93rd
Funny, charming, sweet, sometimes heartbreaking, but overall absolutely flawless.
Rated 05 Aug 2009
82
75th
A little bit formulaic, but still a highly enjoyable flick.
Rated 10 Aug 2009
95
93rd
Unforgettable!
Rated 12 Aug 2009
70
44th
The apartment: 8 // 8 // 8 // 6 // 6 // 8 // 5
Rated 24 Aug 2009
81
52nd
I didn't think too much of The Apartment much like Billy Wilder's other films. There's something about this film that kept me from giving it a higher score and I can't point it out. There's nothing wrong with Lemmon, MacLaine or MacMurray... maybe it's the tone of the film? Perhaps if I watch it a couple more time it'll grow on me?
Rated 04 Oct 2009
78
78th
Very enjoyable with great performance by Jack Lemmon as the ambitious but rather clumsy employee trying to get his way up to the top by opening up his apartment to colleagues for nights out with their mistresses.
Rated 09 Nov 2009
70
41st
Jack Lemmon is great in this, but I got really annoyed by his character's initial spinelessness. I prefer other Wilder films, this one just left me bored.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
80
82nd
Very enjoyable with great performance by Jack Lemmon as the ambitious but rather clumsy employee trying to get his way up to the top by opening up his apartment to colleagues for nights out with their mistresses.
Rated 13 Jan 2010
97
94th
59
Rated 03 Feb 2010
100
95th
watched: 2010, 2018, 2020, 2021
Rated 02 Mar 2010
70
72nd
Wonderful drama. Yes, drama. Whoever call this a comedy probably has Schindler's List also in his top10 of comedies. Watch it and don't expect laughs, just maybe some tiny smiles under two wet eyes.
Rated 09 Apr 2010
81
47th
good script
Rated 26 Apr 2010
80
74th
Awfully goofy premise. Very good cast and performances, especially by the two leads (acting-wise).
Rated 09 Jul 2010
78
73rd
It was a semi-funny movie and fairly enjoyable at that. It wasn't all that special, I didn't think, but I did really enjoy watching it. Too bad it wasn't a romance in any concievable meaning of the word.
Rated 03 Aug 2010
80
68th
First watch, thought it was okay. Second watch, thought it was really good. If I watch it again in a few years I may end up loving it.
Rated 22 Sep 2010
85
83rd
Wonderful plot, acting, keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially at the very end. Great love story. Really racy for when it was filmed!
Rated 18 Nov 2010
83
66th
This is a movie that has one well-written screenplay translated into a cinematic classic thanks to Billy Wilder's directing. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are just great together in this film. These two portray a simple, yet heart-warming relationship of how two unlikely people at work later become aquatinted on Christmas with something better along the way. The story, as well as characters/actors, in this film are memorable and promising to a movie worth watching. Highly recommend it.
Rated 24 Dec 2010
100
99th
My favorite movie of all time
Rated 25 Dec 2010
89
89th
89.000

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