Sunset Boulevard

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3:13

Sunset Boulevard

1950

1h 50m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

125 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback. The screenwriter believes he can manipulate her, but he soon finds out he is wrong. The screenwriter's ambivalence about their relationship and her unwillingness to let go leads to a situation of violence, madness, and death.

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Critics Consensus

Arguably the greatest movie about Hollywood, Billy Wilder's masterpiece Sunset Boulevard is a tremendously entertaining combination of noir, black comedy, and character study.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Dec 8, 2025

5/5

It is Wilder’s passion, and fulminating anger, that fill every frame of this dark and majestic noir.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Aug 10, 2025

5/5

...that staircase descent... The staging so that the police and cameramen and reporters all basically freeze, so it's like one of her oil canvases of a legendary or mythical figure come to life... [Norma] transcends space and time.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Jun 27, 2023

Billy Wilder’s chillingly cold-blooded satire of Hollywood is one of his finest films — and indeed arguably one of the greatest movies of the period.

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Frank J. Avella

The Contending

Oct 21, 2025

A+

The iconic work, viewed through today’s lens, shows that Hollywood hasn’t really changed. Much of film is still bold and startling...The clever, stinging dialogue, written by Wilder, with Charles Brackett and D.M. Marshman, is still timely.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sep 9, 2025

4/4

The best movie ever made about the film industry, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is a dark masterpiece that’s as bilious as it is brilliant.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Sep 2, 2025

5/5

Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard remains a stunning masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences with its gripping Hollywood tale of faded fame and the struggle to stay relevant in an ever-shifting cinematic landscape.

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Pennie

Apr 26, 2026

Doesnt get any better. Tops in every way!

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Remington

Sep 16, 2025

All time classic and the Betty Schafer part even got an Oscar. Anytime this plays I'll watch

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Derek

Sep 14, 2025

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Perfect movie from start to finish.

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twfoley0312

Aug 13, 2025

This was an absolutely amazing film in every respect. This was a true skewering of both the darker side and the myth that was Hollywood of 75 years past. The film also took its subject head on while maintaining a satirical edge all while seamlesly & expertly unfolding the narrative in the realm of the genre of film noir. And then there is the cast & their performances. If only this film had not had the misfortune of being released in the same year as ALL ABOUT EVE, yet another film with themes of ageism and the fickle nature of the Hollywood stardom, SUNSET BOULEVARD would have taken home far more gold at the Academy Awards ceremony in 1951. Regardless, SUNSET BOULEVARD remains a glorious look at the darker side of Hollywood that is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago. This cinematic achievement was and remains a standout by all involved and is perhaps one of writer/director Billy Wilder's most generous offerings to audiences both then and three quarters of a century later. Looking back, Gloria Swanson's Nora Desmond was right when she said that it was the pictures that have become small. Revisit this enduring classic when motion pictures were truly big.

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Brook

Aug 6, 2025

Always been a favorite. I have the DVD but it was great to see on the big screen. I was a little disappointed with the quality of the film. The restoration on DVD was clearer, but the film not so much. Still, an excellent film!

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CK

Aug 6, 2025

Just saw the Broadway show and wanted to see how Jamie Lloyd's reimagined musical compared to the original film. I thought the film would be dated and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Loved seeing it on the big screen, too.

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Director

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Joe Gillis

Gloria Swanson

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Synopsis

An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback. The screenwriter believes he can manipulate her, but he soon finds out he is wrong. The screenwriter's ambivalence about their relationship and her unwillingness to let go leads to a situation of violence, madness, and death.

Director: Billy Wilder
Producer: Charles Brackett
Screenwriter: D.M. Marshman Jr.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 10, 1950, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 50m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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