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Ace in the Hole
Ace in the Hole
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Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole

1951
Drama
1h 51m
When a man is trapped alive in a mine collapse, a self-interested reporter and the townspeople cynically create what we now call a "media circus". (imdb)

Directed by:

Billy Wilder

Screenwriter:

Billy Wilder, Walter Newman, Lesser Samuels, Victor Desny

Starring:

Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur, Porter Hall, Frank Cady, Richard Benedict, Lewis Martin, Gene Evans, Ray Teal, John Berkes, Frank Jaquet, Frances Dominguez

Genre:

Drama

AKA:

The Big Carnival

Country:

USA

Languages:

English, Spanish, Latin
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Ace in the Hole

1951
Drama
1h 51m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 75.05% from 1556 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 17 Jul 2007
4
70th
Nobody could do cynical like Billy Wilder, and this is another top-shelf offering to go along with Sunset Blvd. and Double Indemnity. Everybody down the line, from Chuck Tatum's sleazy, manipulative reporter (played brilliantly by Kirk Douglas) right up to the trapped man's wife, is uncompromisingly greedy, framing his desperate story for their own personal gain. But there are no happy endings to be had for any of them. A dark, biting vision of American society.
Rated 17 Jul 2007
purgatospurgatos
Rated 12 Feb 2009
94
95th
This film is fantastic, because it's repulsive. Douglas is incredible, because he's so awful. Sterling is amazing, because she's sickening. Every review of this film calls it cynical and there's no better word, this might be even more so than even Sunset Boulevard. You just can't look away from this one.
Rated 12 Feb 2009
yiannosYiannos
Rated 28 Oct 2014
50
26th
I was told this film attacks the media in the similarly caustic and revealing way that Sunset Boulevard attacked Hollywood. They lied. It isn't as remotely engaging and doesn't begin to compare to the Sweet Smell Of Success either, which trumps it on all levels. Kirk Douglas is fine in the lead, but the script, while well meaning, lacks intelligence. The film is praised for its bleak and uncompromising take on mass media culture, but it fails because it routinely confuses cynicism for insight.
Rated 28 Oct 2014
paxtonPaxton
Rated 01 Jul 2021
89
88th
Helped coin the phrase "Scooplunking" which put together the ideas of cave exploratory (spelunking) and finding unique information (get the scoop). It was never used once by anyone until this very review and then almost undoubtedly never again.
Rated 01 Jul 2021
dardandardan
Rated 07 Jun 2016
85
90th
Perhaps the true power of this film lies not in its prescient criticisms of the press, greed and disaster tourists, or its noirish characterizations, all factors certainly adding value, but it on the whole being a tragedy of the commons; an ecosystem borne, revolving, surviving and thriving around one life source that is the non-incidental treasure hunter. After the first one starts, it's a chain inevitably cascading from one thing to the next, without ever resolving the issue.
Rated 07 Jun 2016
jebJeb
Rated 10 Mar 2009
97
90th
A relatively cynically-fueled and uncompromisingly gloomy look at greed and betrayal, and its a huge kick in the nuts to the media. Bleak, powerful, depressing, sombre and harrowing noir that exceeds above all others. Kirk Douglas is sleazy and somewhat compelling as the repulsively acquisitive and avaricious reporter who wants the attention all to himself. Billy Wilder's best.
Rated 10 Mar 2009
teddedonTedDedon
Rated 21 Jul 2007
82
65th
Kirk Douglas punched a guy with his highwater pants on; that was pretty funny. And he's like, "yo da circus is over," and they had to pack up their ferris wheel and go back home.
Rated 21 Jul 2007
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 11 Feb 2021
95
96th
It must’ve been so unfair to be putting out movies against Billy Wilder when he was on fire Extra! Extra! Country between wars has fuck all to do!
Rated 11 Feb 2021
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 23 Sep 2013
80
69th
A lot of the notorious cynicism and darkness is offset by some pretty on-the-nose moralising in the third act, and the whole thing is almost derailed by the ridiculously overwrought anniversary gift scene. It is great fun though, with some extraordinary crowd scenes and panoramic shots of enormous processions of vehicles. Too bad it was all crammed into such an ugly little fullscreen frame.
Rated 23 Sep 2013
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 28 Feb 2009
10
97th
"Ace in the Hole" may not be groundbreaking on a technical level/ its visual style, and the performances weren't really jaw dropping, but it succeeds in conveying a thought provoking message while exploring the selfishness and audacity of its sleazy characters. A coy yet compelling masterpiece, one that definitely sticks with you after the end credits roll. Billy's the man!
Rated 28 Feb 2009
skenkereSkenkere
Rated 04 Feb 2009
77
78th
Surprisingly cynical and bleak for a 50's movie. The greed and cynicism is palpable, and you find yourself getting swept up in the whole circus and forgetting about Leo, just like everyone else. Kirk Douglas is great too, I might add. I would call it a black comedy, that still seems relevant.
Rated 04 Feb 2009
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 04 Feb 2009
5
96th
Like a blood-soaked, dust-caked, hard-boiled Citizen Kane. Ace in the Hole is a depressing and thorough exploration of greed and venality. Its bleakness and its cynicism are emotionally exhausting. I haven't been bothered so much by a film in quite some time. Wilder's best.
Rated 04 Feb 2009
ihatemoviesIHateMovies
Rated 24 May 2008
100
96th
One of those movies that grabs you from the first second and never lets go, Ace in the Hole brings cynicism to a whole new level. As someone watching Billy Wilder work for the first time, I felt a level of disgust for myself as I started to forget to pity Leo because I was so busy hating Douglas and Sterling. Incredible.
Rated 24 May 2008
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 01 Apr 2008
93
98th
Somewhere between a noir and a black comedy it's an excellent film criticizing every aspect of a big media circus. The story's bleak and powerful, full of magnificent dialogue and plenty of small touches, led by an excellent performance from Kirk Douglas.
Rated 01 Apr 2008
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 27 Aug 2007
4
74th
One of Billy Wilder's darkest films, and Kirk Douglas is the perfect showcase for Wilder's cynicism. However, it lacks the mood of Double Indemnity or Sunset Blvd, and at times feels kind of bland. Still though, the script, acting, and pacing are all perfect. The good far outweighs the bad, and the ending wraps things up pretty neatly.
Rated 27 Aug 2007
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 11 Nov 2020
75
50th
Kirk Douglas gives a great performance in the lead role in this film. The script was a head of its time and and it is still revelant today. There are some slow moving moments in this movie. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 11 Nov 2020
gnalkhereGnalkhere
Rated 15 Jun 2019
80
72nd
Holy shit dude
Rated 15 Jun 2019
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 28 Feb 2019
82
91st
I always thought (based on random readings here and there) this movie is about journalism and media and how manipulating and corrupted it can be, but it's not (mainly) about that. It criticizes the people and general public who are the real power; people who can (directly or indirectly) make a journalism to manipulate a story in a way they like better; the people who can even be manipulated into electing a certain president.
Rated 28 Feb 2019
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 15 Jul 2018
80
79th
A dark look at what used to be called "yellow journalism," trying to make stars out of newspaper writers. The film, filled with brilliant lines and an outstanding cast, is still relevant today in our own media "circus" (which is literally depicted here).
Rated 15 Jul 2018
spleenspleen
Rated 09 Feb 2016
86
86th
Who you callin' "ace hole"?!!!
Rated 09 Feb 2016
nbd_rabNBD Rab
Rated 23 Feb 2013
100
99th
Dark and cynical, it's gotten even more relevant in today's world of 24-hour news networks. Kirk Douglas gives a memorable performance as an opportunistic sociopath. This movie does to the press what Sunset Blvd does to Hollywood.
Rated 23 Feb 2013
nilkynarfynilkynarfy
Rated 26 Dec 2012
95
96th
Aside from this sentence, I am going to review Ace in the Hole without using any derivations of the word 'cynic.' Kirk Douglas is funny, intense, and sleazy; nice to know the media always sucked; Billy Wilder was really good at making picture films that move.
Rated 26 Dec 2012
djrossdjross
Rated 11 Oct 2012
50
44th
Excoriating attack on the sensationalism, corruption and performativity (in the Austinian sense, whereby to say is to do) of the modern mass media, but the screenplay lacks wit, and the performances, score and direction are all very heavy-handed.
Rated 11 Oct 2012
nobletNoblet
Rated 30 Mar 2011
88
91st
A harsh indictment of the media and the public's appetite for bad news. Kirk Douglas plays pretty much the biggest bastard in the world perfectly.
Rated 30 Mar 2011
vesupriavesupria
Rated 01 Dec 2010
9
95th
Wilder's tale of the media, of drying, desperation, greed and defiance. The metaphors are stunning, for example the giant, evergrowing & very literal media created circus. The story builds up momentum, and the scenery (and symbolism) gets more lucid. It's fascinating how it develops. Good people exist somewhere in this crooked world, but unfortunately they too are surrounded, and eaten alive, by the circus of life.
Rated 01 Dec 2010
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 17 Oct 2009
9
93rd
Kirk Douglas is a real son of a bitch. His performance is so over the top and wild you can't not love his antics. Some of those shots were pretty David Lean esque, and you gotta love that ending. Solid film.
Rated 17 Oct 2009
nmstevensnmstevens
Rated 01 Apr 2009
80
77th
Brilliant, razor-sharp Billy Wilder drama about a cynical down-and out reporter who stumbles across a man trapped in a cave -- and cold-bloodedly manipulates and draws out the rescue effort in order to make it a bigger story. People forget that Hollywood once made movies this smart. So has Hollywood.
Rated 01 Apr 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 22 Mar 2009
94
99th
Great Movie
Rated 22 Mar 2009
mechatiggerMechatigger
Rated 05 Mar 2009
100
91st
Terrific drama. Unrelenting in its cynicism, superb performances.
Rated 05 Mar 2009
torontodogtorontodog
Rated 03 Sep 2008
85
90th
Awesomely cynical for the 1950s. It's hard to imagine the media was as sleazy back then as it is now, but after seeing this...
Rated 03 Sep 2008
supergloosupergloo
Rated 30 Nov 2007
9
76th
Billy Wilder's poisoned-pen love letter to America is a wonder to behold.
Rated 30 Nov 2007
stainStain
Rated 25 Mar 2007
100
95th
Outstanding, wonderfully cynical drama like only Billy Wilder did it
Rated 25 Mar 2007
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 25 Mar 2024
70
54th
Charles Tatum: "Bad news sells best. Cause good news is no news."
Rated 25 Mar 2024
punqPUNQ
Rated 19 Aug 2023
80
99th
Cynical to the core!
Rated 19 Aug 2023
heynicefilmHeyNiceFilm
Rated 19 Jun 2023
73
34th
The main character calls everyone "fan". I don't know what that has to do with anything but I thought that was noteworthy, maybe even a bit cool dare I say? The dialogue is good, what do you expect, its Billy Wilder. This is another newspaper story a la "His Girl Friday" or "Sweet Smell of Success". Triple feature anyone? Not sure how I would rank them. The message behind it all is still very poignant. Slow start and could use a 30 minute shave, like most movies.
Rated 19 Jun 2023
dommulldommull
Rated 18 Jun 2023
64
25th
Decent but not exceptional
Rated 18 Jun 2023
yorgoyorgo
Rated 02 May 2023
90
85th
"Even for Albuquerque, this is pretty Albuquerque"
Rated 02 May 2023
cvanascvanas
Rated 09 Nov 2022
85
79th
A story that portrays the sad truth about how the media sensationalizes tragic incidents and how a life is less important than the story it holds. Great acting and bold, uncomfortable scenes; I was hooked.
Rated 09 Nov 2022
twincinematwincinema
Rated 03 Jul 2022
90
92nd
How easy was it to find a job in 1951? You could enter a workplace, tell them you don't want to work there and you are using them to get back to your former glory, and that you have been fired multiple times for various reasons, and they'd still hire you. The world was also different -- thousands of people attend to watch someone get pulled out of a hole. Billy Wilder has so many hits and I should have already watched his entire filmography.
Rated 03 Jul 2022
scribScrib
Rated 08 Jun 2022
95
97th
doyler29doyler29
Rated 31 May 2022
80
68th
The only reason I leave this out of the peak of Wilder's films is that I feel a tonal inconsistency in the middle of the film. It's not a black comedy, and it's not really satire, but a lot of it feels pitched to the rafters like it were one. I think it's a bit much, and it wore on me a bit until it got to the last act, which is dark, brutal and remorseless. Astonishing stuff.
Rated 31 May 2022
madmanMadMan
Rated 30 Dec 2021
98
93rd
Bleak as hell classic that wasn't properly appreciated back in its time. Billy Wilder wasn't afraid to present the worst of humanity driven by greed and popularity.
Rated 30 Dec 2021
montycircusMontyCircus
Rated 07 Sep 2021
60
69th
Kirk Douglas as an unscrupulous journalist. Good old movie. Ending was a bit stage-play'ish.
Rated 07 Sep 2021
karbonaichKarbonaich
Rated 19 May 2021
75
41st
w/ Buket
Rated 19 May 2021
mysticMystic
Rated 07 Apr 2020
2
22nd
Wilder's weakest.
Rated 07 Apr 2020
braddad68braddad68
Rated 16 Mar 2020
95
84th
Impressive for its day. Definitely way up there for Kirk Douglas, though his character is thoroughly unlikable.
Rated 16 Mar 2020
mike365365mike365365
Rated 04 Oct 2019
68
57th
A well done if not predictable film.
Rated 04 Oct 2019
bartbaardBartbaard
Rated 30 May 2019
70
69th
A nice watch. Starts of strong but ends very abruptly. It's a bit like being thrown in to a Coen Brothers situation with everything spiraling out of control, but it's not handled all that well, which reflects itself in the ending. Other than that Wilder wrote a great screenplay (ending aside) and Douglas did well
Rated 30 May 2019
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 12 Mar 2019
82
14th
82.00
Rated 12 Mar 2019
schnofelschnofel
Rated 06 Jan 2019
85
95th
Wilder hits a (gold) mine with this. The story gets better, more feverish and absurd with each passing minute. Only then a pointlessly provoked knife attack puts a halt to normal proceedings and puts our anti-hero in a twisted spot - one of needing redemption. Of all the corrupt, dirty bastards in this story, why him? He was on a streak. Well, newspaperman that he is, he sells his end with a lot of pathos.
Rated 06 Jan 2019
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 03 Jan 2019
91
97th
Billy Wilder had his finger on the pulse of media, past and future, with this cynical tale. For me, its trip from cynical to darkly absurd is where the film soars. Wilder is able to find humor in this story where we now find ourselves daily.
Rated 03 Jan 2019
rosenritterrosenritter
Rated 16 Sep 2018
7
67th
This is the first Wilder I've seen that felt like it had some flab, and I might've been unkinder to it were it not for that manic final act, overflowing with cynicism even by Wilder standards. I don't think I'll forget that utterly acerbic closing line anytime soon.
Rated 16 Sep 2018
phantom_nookPhantom Nook
Rated 17 Dec 2017
78
77th
A pretty good cautionary tale about sensationalism in media, and valuing a great scoop above all else.
Rated 17 Dec 2017
jimmy_suedeJimmy Suede
Rated 29 Jul 2017
75
58th
Great story about an obnoxious, sleazy reporter, who was, well, pretty sleazy and obnoxious (trying not to spoil it here) and superbly acted by Kirk Douglas. Pretty biting commentary on the media. I'd rate it higher except for some required suspension of disbelief concerning his getting away with his scheme so easily for so long, and the ridiculous circus (literally) that it became.
Rated 29 Jul 2017
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 12 May 2017
75
67th
Kirk Douglas plays a super asshole. Jan Sterling plays a lazily written idiot asshole. The script is effective in it's cynicism (which I can appreciate) but is super contrived (which I can't). Still despite it's obvious flaws I found it quite compelling.
Rated 12 May 2017
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 27 Feb 2016
16
89th
Star Rating: ★★★★1/2
Rated 27 Feb 2016
neonmanNeonman
Rated 31 Dec 2015
84
78th
A scathing criticism of sensationalism amidst journalism and the media circus (literally here) that can arise from it, told wonderfully in this condensed, yet still grand tale. What makes this so watchable is trying to decipher Tatum's true motivations, who is performed excellently by Douglas in one of the most alpha male roles I've ever seen.
Rated 31 Dec 2015
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 15 Dec 2014
84
91st
An interesting and rather simple plot turned into a solid film with a great performance from Douglas, and fantastic social commentary of sensationalist press.
Rated 15 Dec 2014
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
85
92nd
2nd viewing
Rated 03 Dec 2014
mandymandy
Rated 13 Aug 2014
7
73rd
Insightful and cynical for it's time and still relevant for today.
Rated 13 Aug 2014
rufamRufam
Rated 28 Jun 2014
70
57th
"Ace in the Hole" is finely written and effectively presented, if a little too satisfied with its own cynicism. There's no doubt the film is involving and workmanlike and that the Douglas performance is sturdy, but the film loudly states its point from the start and spends every other scene persistently underlining it, with heavy-handed conviction. It's solid and tragic alright but somewhat less than I have come to expect from Wilder.
Rated 28 Jun 2014
hotsakehotsake
Rated 11 May 2014
76
88th
It starts off fast and hard and kept me entertained for most of it's run but by the end I was just waiting for the movie to end.
Rated 11 May 2014
ocelotOcelot
Rated 27 Feb 2014
80
89th
This is incredibly cynical, especially for 1951, so it's no surprise it was a box-office flop. Douglas is a complete piece of shit, but everyone around him is just as bad, if not worse. A brilliant reflection on the power and ease of manufacturing an image, maintaining it and monetizing it.
Rated 27 Feb 2014
mrarnmrarn
Rated 21 Nov 2013
77
95th
Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is looking for a story to bring him back to the big time and finds what just what he needs with a man trapped by a cave in. Everybody is this film exhibits some type of moral flaw, even the subject of our pity (the trapped man) is a grave robber. A very cynical portrayal of the media, well worth watching.
Rated 21 Nov 2013
glm01glm01
Rated 10 Oct 2013
87
91st
86.500
Rated 10 Oct 2013
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 28 Aug 2013
80
83rd
Classic story of blind ambition, a shabby news reporter hits bottom in Albuquerque NM while waiting for his big story and ticket back to the New York papers. He stalls the rescue of a man trapped underground to drum up interest and claw his way back to the top. A complex story with many corrupt participants, is a warning to anyone who chooses self serving ambition over doing the right thing. The ending was predictable, but watching it was interesting from start to finish.
Rated 28 Aug 2013
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 11 Aug 2013
70
82nd
Good film.
Rated 11 Aug 2013
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 24 Jul 2013
5
73rd
i went through a teenage phase of adoring the cynicism, then an early 20s phase of finding the satire far too obvious to be so self-satisfied, but at least it wears that bluntness proudly, it's obscenely quotable, and it's at least a little more ambiguous than i had remembered (difficult to know whether to read compassion or scorn into that final shot of "mr. and mrs. america", for example, nor that of lorraine).
Rated 24 Jul 2013
actionbergActionberg
Rated 30 Jun 2013
80
71st
I tell ya, this Wilder fella can tell a hell of a story with moving pictures. I'm not sure what's more nightmarish about this film, the mindless, hedonistic masses gathering for fallacious satisfaction, a woman trapped in a life and a marriage that she is powerless to escape, a man whose aspirations of success supercede his morality, or the fact that there's a decent human being dying in a cave in the midst of all of it. There's some awkward elements in the third act; otherwise it's a winner.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
obtiosovobtiosov
Rated 25 Jun 2013
84
79th
Satılmış basın, bunu da yazın.
Rated 25 Jun 2013
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 15 Jun 2013
85
71st
Ace in the Hole is a greasy, layered post-noir with some fine genre direction by Wilder. Douglas might be a little too irreverent for the role of anti-hero, but once the story catches fire, it explodes with tension, barreling toward a perfectly executed climax, and a gleefully stylized closing shot.
Rated 15 Jun 2013
bofbof
Rated 17 May 2013
73
66th
So that's where they got the plot for that Simpsons episode.
Rated 17 May 2013
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 15 May 2013
75
35th
Awesome theme/topic for the 50s, but the characters lack something. Still can't put my finger on it. Maybe they're all just too much shaped up in a moralising direction, they're a bit too "archetypal" to say so, they seem a bit un-natural.
Rated 15 May 2013
prowlerprowler
Rated 13 May 2013
48
45th
there's the typical Wilder brilliance, but not much nuance to this one.
Rated 13 May 2013
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 01 Mar 2013
90
96th
This is a great movie, deep in meaning about our taste for the sensationalism in our society. It reminded me of the 33 Chilean miners. This movie has a very good script and a fantastic performance by the great Kirk.
Rated 01 Mar 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 05 Feb 2013
85
80th
Part dark comedy, part film noir, primarily intensely cynical drama, this biting piece of filmmaking which practically oozes venom is the kind of thing that leaves me amazed about '50s Hollywood, I certainly could never imagine such a film being financed nowadays even though (or precisely because) now in the era of 24 hour news services this film is more relevant than ever before. Kirk Douglas is brilliant as the repulsive main character. Very compelling.
Rated 05 Feb 2013
roofsrunnerroofs_runner
Rated 21 Jan 2013
96
96th
A fierce kick in the teeth of media and mainstream interest in bed news. I guess my local news company took deeply to heart the first part of the film.
Rated 21 Jan 2013
amadeusAmadeus
Rated 11 Dec 2012
89
98th
mankind sucks.
Rated 11 Dec 2012
davidthomsonDavidThomson
Rated 26 Aug 2012
60
38th
At 1951, some charges of cruelty and cynicism had been leveled at Wilder already. But Ace in the Hole goes much further in its portrayal of a kind of gloating malice. What is remarkable is that Wilder is uttering these curses from the pulpit of great success. The public hated it, and Wilder did not really come back until the end of the fifties, when he was a comedy director - nothing he would have been accused of in 1951. No one interested in Wilder should miss the film.
Rated 26 Aug 2012
burkayadaligburkayadalig
Rated 10 Aug 2012
67
32nd
Good script but Kirk Douglas overacts in annoying levels...
Rated 10 Aug 2012
just1nJust1n
Rated 29 May 2012
65
23rd
Decent noir. Spoilt by over the top unbelievable situations imo.
Rated 29 May 2012
coheedCoheed
Rated 20 May 2012
68
47th
The heavy-handedness of the main issue did undermine the film for me, far too unsubtle when a more controlled tone would have made it still striking for me. How the media is now has affected this portrayal, but it's more the how the ideas were put across on screen. When Kirk Douglas goes beyond being a soulless bastard this film gets far more interesting, awash with beautiful yet overbearing cinematography, getting closer to the unsettling ideas it's trying to reach and reaching a great ending.
Rated 20 May 2012
kalmah7Kalmah7
Rated 29 Apr 2012
91
96th
Wilder was so awesome
Rated 29 Apr 2012
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 28 Mar 2012
68
45th
Like Wilder's previous film "Sunset Boulevard" this one features a few strong elements but no emotional core or sense of tone to tie it all together. I still don't see why his pervasive cynicism is something that 1) should be admired and 2) isn't just stemming from some puerile urge to piss off other people. Douglas gives too much too soon, and Sterling's acting is quite suspect. Heavy handed to a fault.
Rated 28 Mar 2012
damildamil
Rated 18 Mar 2012
75
81st
It's another really great film from Billy Wilder and another fantastic performance from Kirk Douglas. I don't have all that much to say about this one, except that it's good. It explores the dark side of humanity and I love that.
Rated 18 Mar 2012
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 28 Feb 2012
73
58th
gazetecilik, yer alti, göcük, cöl, kizilderili harabesi, definecilik (ünlü gazeteci define ararken yer altinda kalan adamin haberini yapar ve adamin kurtarilmasi faaliyetleri büyük ilgi ceker. Adamin esi Femme Fatale)
Rated 28 Feb 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 08 Feb 2012
91
92nd
Dark film about how the media can profit from and create tragedy.
Rated 08 Feb 2012
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 20 Jan 2012
81
78th
it's of no great surprise that either billy wilder can write a gripping script or that douglas is a great actor, so that's to be expected. for the most part this movie is simply a great movie, my only complaints are that it dragged on in a couple places, and i was not impressed with sterling.
Rated 20 Jan 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
63
26th
#733
Rated 02 Dec 2011
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 08 Oct 2011
7
61st
Caustic dramedy in the usual cynical yet sentimental Wilder fashion; its willingness to border on caricature can be offputting but as assumed it's an expertly written and directed piece of craft.
Rated 08 Oct 2011
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 19 Aug 2011
100
98th
Captivating from start to finish, one of the best noirs I've ever seen. Kirk Douglas is phenomenal.
Rated 19 Aug 2011
sebbysebby
Rated 02 Aug 2011
85
96th
In the Wilder canon, only The Apartment eclipses Ace in the Hole. It darkly and cynically crucifies the media, but you really can't call its venom unwarranted. Great melodramatic final line and shot of Douglas.
Rated 02 Aug 2011
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 22 May 2011
90
95th
Great. My first Wilder and I get the feeling he will become one of my very favorites.
Rated 22 May 2011
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 04 May 2011
75
80th
Not my favorite Billy Wilder's picture, but it's impossible not to like it anyway: Kirk Douglas's character, as this sleazy newsman, is at the core of the film-journalism by excellence, and you cannot avoid comparing him to his son Michael Douglas in Wall Street, which is, I guess, even if you don't approve of Oliver Stone's engajed filmmaking, the film-corporation of our time.
Rated 04 May 2011
vahidtrvahidtr
Rated 20 Mar 2011
71
63rd
something I can't understand about this movie is : why such a crowd must come to this cave and be worried for his destiny . Kirk Douglas's performance was astonishing and I love the character . the movie haven't had a good beginning .
Rated 20 Mar 2011
kasperlKasperL
Rated 17 Mar 2011
80
86th
Though it has nothing on 'Sweet Smell of Success' (one of my all-time favorites), this is very, very solid and not so very far from cracking my Billy Wilder top 5.
Rated 17 Mar 2011
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 29 Jan 2011
91
85th
Tough, cynical Wilder film finds Douglas in peak form as ruthless newspaper man obsessed with stringing out story of a mining tragedy for his own ends. Film was ahead of its time in the 50s, now stands as an ultra-realistic depiction of modern day media circuses (love the inclusion of a literal carnival in this film to ram home the point!) Supporting cast are all superb, love Hall's opening scenes as Mr Boot, and dialogue is delivered at a rat-a-tat-tat pace ensuring a fresh modern feel.
Rated 29 Jan 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 05 Dec 2010
40
97th
"Not unlike Fritz Lang's equally misanthropic Scarlet Street, Ace in the Hole plays the squashing of one man's human spirit for societal-weary gravitas." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 05 Dec 2010
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 27 Oct 2010
80
84th
Kirk Douglas is brilliant as a repugnant newspaperman who manufactures a story for his own benefit. Surprisingly cynical for a film that's almost 60 years old, but arguably more relevant than ever in today's era of 24 hour rolling news channels. If a sequel of this film was made today it would probably be called "Ace in the Hole 2: Balloon Boy Floats Again".
Rated 27 Oct 2010
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 03 Jul 2010
70
50th
Not that impressed. The beginning was alright, and the second third was good, but I was ready for that man get out of that damned hole about half an hour sooner. I saw the entire third act coming from a mile away, but somehow it still took FOREVER to resolve. It's not just that it dragged on, but there was a while there where it just felt like we were waiting with the rest of the crowd for something to happen. And by "something," I mean the obvious, and lame conclusion.
Rated 03 Jul 2010

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