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Sunset Boulevard poster

Movies that feel likeSunset Boulevard (1950)

A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.

If you loved Sunset Boulevard, the closest films we have are Ace in the Hole (1951), Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and The Lost Weekend (1945). All three share Sunset Boulevard's contemplative and atmospheric feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Force of Evil (1950).

πŸ… 98% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Billy Wildercontemplativeatmospheric
7 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Brew Β· FlixFling

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If Sunset Boulevard hit the spot, these will too

Ace in the Hole poster
Ace in the Hole
1951 Β· dir. Billy Wilder
πŸ… 88%β˜… 8drama

Billy Wilder directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.

Sweet Smell of Success poster
Sweet Smell of Success
1957 Β· dir. Alexander Mackendrick
πŸ… 98%β˜… 8dramaPrime Video

Common ground in both: film noir and black and white

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

The Lost Weekend poster
The Lost Weekend
1945 Β· dir. Billy Wilder
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.8drama

Billy Wilder working the same nerve twice

Longtime alcoholic Don Birnam has been sober for ten days and appears to be over the worst... but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother and girlfriend, he begins a four-day bender that just might be his last – one way or another.

Fat City poster
Fat City
1972 Β· dir. John Huston
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.2drama

Contemplative and atmospheric in the same breath

The difference: Made in the 1970s, in a different era of the craft

The story of two men, a veteran boxer who is down and out, and a young man who is just starting his life and boxing career. Their fighting careers cross paths as their lives and fortunes head in opposite directions.

Double Indemnity poster
Double Indemnity
1944 Β· dir. Billy Wilder
πŸ… 97%β˜… 8.3crime Β· thriller

The same preoccupation in both: film noir

The difference: Trades the stillness of Sunset Boulevard for an angle of its own

An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.

The Set-Up poster
The Set-Up
1949 Β· dir. Robert Wise
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.8drama Β· crime

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The difference: Leans harder into crime than Sunset Boulevard does

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

Detour poster
Detour
1945 Β· dir. Edgar G. Ulmer
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.3drama Β· thrillerPrime Video

Atmospheric drama, and it commits to that

The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.

Mildred Pierce poster
Mildred Pierce
1945 Β· dir. Michael Curtiz
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.9crime Β· drama

One thread runs through both: black and white

A hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.

Force of Evil poster
Force of Evil
1950 Β· dir. Abraham Polonsky
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.2crime Β· drama

Contemplative drama in both cases

Lawyer Joe Morse wants to consolidate all the small-time numbers racket operators into one big powerful operation. But his elder brother Leo is one of these small-time operators who wants to stay that way, preferring not to deal with the gangsters who dominate the big-time.

The Asphalt Jungle poster
The Asphalt Jungle
1950 Β· dir. John Huston
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.8crime Β· drama

A streak of atmosphere through both

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

Angels with Dirty Faces poster
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938 Β· dir. Michael Curtiz
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.8crime Β· drama

Both play drama straight

Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood.

Scarlet Street poster
Scarlet Street
1945 Β· dir. Fritz Lang
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.7drama Β· crimePrime Video

Both are drama through and through

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March. Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny, a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Johnny find out that art dealers are interested in Chris's work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Sunset Boulevard’s defining feeling.