Ace in the Hole
11/24/2025:
Billy Wilder did it again! Honestly, I was expecting this to be about the whole Floyd Collins situation, with him getting stuck in the cave, but this film mentioned that as an event previous to the cave incident in this film!
This is a phenomenal film, and it got good very quickly. The commentary on media reporting and sensationalism gives this film a really unique quality. Following this story behind the scenes and seeing how the main character operates is fascinating.
It has extremely good pacing, and the acting is great! Jan Sterling and Kirk Douglas were the standouts for sure. Jan Sterling has so much subtlety in her performance and was a joy to watch the whole time.
This is my second film with Kirk Douglas after Paths of Glory, and he just shows that he's one of the best actors of the 1950s. He is so maddeningly good in this role, going from opportunistic to diabolical! It's a crime that he never won a competitive Oscar.
I don't want to say too much more about the film. It's one of those films that can really speak for itself and really fires on all cylinders! I am glad this is in the Letterboxd Top 250! (I will be making that list very soon!) Please watch this film. It's flawless!
9/26/2025:
I finally got to watch this again, and I got my dad to sit down and watch it with me. He loved it and agreed with me that this is a masterpiece. You can see my original review for all of my thoughts.
The thing I want to reiterate about a year later, however, is that Kirk Douglas is far and away the best actor of the 1950s. Watching this again, I'm blown away by his range and how he can go from playing a psychopath to a sympathetic man. This movie exemplifies that perfectly with how he can switch between the two in the very same scene.
If you have not seen this, I highly recommend giving it a watch!
Billy Wilder did it again! Honestly, I was expecting this to be about the whole Floyd Collins situation, with him getting stuck in the cave, but this film mentioned that as an event previous to the cave incident in this film!
This is a phenomenal film, and it got good very quickly. The commentary on media reporting and sensationalism gives this film a really unique quality. Following this story behind the scenes and seeing how the main character operates is fascinating.
It has extremely good pacing, and the acting is great! Jan Sterling and Kirk Douglas were the standouts for sure. Jan Sterling has so much subtlety in her performance and was a joy to watch the whole time.
This is my second film with Kirk Douglas after Paths of Glory, and he just shows that he's one of the best actors of the 1950s. He is so maddeningly good in this role, going from opportunistic to diabolical! It's a crime that he never won a competitive Oscar.
I don't want to say too much more about the film. It's one of those films that can really speak for itself and really fires on all cylinders! I am glad this is in the Letterboxd Top 250! (I will be making that list very soon!) Please watch this film. It's flawless!
9/26/2025:
I finally got to watch this again, and I got my dad to sit down and watch it with me. He loved it and agreed with me that this is a masterpiece. You can see my original review for all of my thoughts.
The thing I want to reiterate about a year later, however, is that Kirk Douglas is far and away the best actor of the 1950s. Watching this again, I'm blown away by his range and how he can go from playing a psychopath to a sympathetic man. This movie exemplifies that perfectly with how he can switch between the two in the very same scene.
If you have not seen this, I highly recommend giving it a watch!
Mini Review: Billy Wilder did it again! This film is phenomenal—tight pacing, gripping story, and standout performances. Jan Sterling’s subtle brilliance makes her a joy to watch, while Kirk Douglas proves once again he was one of the finest actors of the 1950s. His transformation from opportunistic to diabolical is maddeningly good, and it’s a crime he never won an Oscar. The film speaks for itself, firing on all cylinders. Please watch this, it’s flawless!
Watch the Trailer