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Ace in the Hole poster

Movies that feel likeAce in the Hole (1951)

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

If you loved Ace in the Hole, the closest films we have are Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and The Lost Weekend (1945). All three share Ace in the Hole'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… 88% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Billy Wildercontemplativedarkly funnyatmospheric
7 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Criterion Channel

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If Ace in the Hole hit the spot, these will too

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

Both are Billy Wilder's work, and they rhyme

The difference: Takes it somewhere less darkly funny than Ace in the Hole does

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

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

The same two preoccupations: 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

The same hand behind both of them: Billy Wilder

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.

Monsieur Verdoux poster
Monsieur Verdoux
1947 Β· dir. Charlie Chaplin
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.8comedy Β· crime Β· dramaMax

The same preoccupation in both: film noir

The difference: Sits closer to comedy than Ace in the Hole does

The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine.

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

The same mix in both: stillness, then atmosphere

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.

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 Ace in the Hole 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.

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

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

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

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

Atmospheric drama in both cases

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

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

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

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.

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

The shared currency is atmosphere

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.

Network poster
Network
1976 Β· dir. Sidney Lumet
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8drama

Both are working the same pair: satire, reporter

When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.

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

Drama in the same key

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.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Ace in the Hole’s defining feeling.