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The Lost Weekend poster

Movies that feel likeThe Lost Weekend (1945)

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.

If you loved The Lost Weekend, the closest films we have are Sunset Boulevard (1950), Ace in the Hole (1951) and Sweet Smell of Success (1957). All three share The Lost Weekend'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 The Set-Up (1949).

9 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Criterion Channel

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See it on the Mood Map

If The Lost Weekend hit the spot, these will too

Sunset Boulevard poster
Sunset Boulevard
1950 Β· dir. Billy Wilder
πŸ… 98%β˜… 8.4drama

Billy Wilder working the same nerve twice

The difference: Easier on the paranoia than The Lost Weekend

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

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

The same hand behind both of them: Billy Wilder

The difference: Takes it somewhere less paranoid than The Lost Weekend does

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

Two things both keep coming back to: 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 Magician poster
The Magician
1958 Β· dir. Ingmar Bergman
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5drama

Both are built on the same subject: paranoia

A traveling magician and his troupe arrive in a Swedish town in the 1840s, where their act is scrutinized by local authorities and a skeptical medical official. Their stay leads to a series of confrontations that test the boundaries between performance, belief, and deception.

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

One thread runs through both: film noir

The difference: Sits closer to thriller than The Lost Weekend does

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.

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

Common ground: black and white

The difference: Leans harder into crime than The Lost Weekend does

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.

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

Contemplative and atmospheric in the same breath

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

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

Both keep coming back to the same thing: alcoholism

The difference: 27 years apart, and the 1970s show

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.

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

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

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.

The 39 Steps poster
The 39 Steps
1935 Β· dir. Alfred Hitchcock
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.6mystery Β· thrillerPrime VideoMax

Both lean on paranoia more than on drama

Richard Hanney has a rude awakening when a glamorous female spy falls into his bed - with a knife in her back. Having a bit of trouble explaining it all to Scotland Yard, he heads for the hills of Scotland to try to clear his name by locating the spy ring known as The 39 Steps.

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

Atmospheric drama, and it commits to that

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.

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

Both run contemplative where it counts

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

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Lost Weekend’s defining feeling.