feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Ace in the Hole (1951)

If you loved Ace in the Hole, the closest films we have are Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Fat City (1972) and American Beauty (1999). All three share Ace in the Hole's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel and Philo and others, checked against today's data.

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

πŸ… 88% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8.1 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Billy Wildercontemplativedarkly funnyatmospheric

When is Ace in the Hole streaming? β†’

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

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

Film noir and black and white, at the center of both

The difference: Missing the dark humor of Ace in the Hole

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.

Feels alike?
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: 21 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. Director John Huston tells their stories with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films.

Feels alike?
American Beauty poster
American Beauty
1999 Β· dir. Sam Mendes
πŸ… 87%β˜… 8.3drama

Both trade on dark humor more than on being drama

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

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Umberto D. poster
Umberto D.
1952 Β· dir. Vittorio De Sica
πŸ… 98%β˜… 8.1drama

Black and white sits at the heart of each

When elderly pensioner Umberto Domenico Ferrari returns to his boarding house from a protest calling for a hike in old-age pensions, his landlady demands her 15,000-lire rent by the end of the month or he and his small dog will be turned out onto the street. Unable to get the money in time, Umberto fakes illness to get sent to a hospital, giving his beloved dog to the landlady's pregnant and abandoned maid for temporary safekeeping.

Feels alike?
Late Spring poster
Late Spring
1949 · dir. Yasujirō Ozu
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8.2drama

Contemplative drama in both cases

Noriko is perfectly happy living at home with her widowed father, Shukichi, and has no plans to marry -- that is, until her aunt Masa convinces Shukichi that unless he marries off his 27-year-old daughter soon, she will likely remain alone for the rest of her life. When Noriko resists Masa's matchmaking, Shukichi is forced to deceive his daughter and sacrifice his own happiness to do what he believes is right.

Feels alike?
Bicycle Thieves poster
Bicycle Thieves
1948 Β· dir. Vittorio De Sica
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8.2drama

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Unemployed Antonio is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. However on his first day, his bicycleβ€”essential to his workβ€”gets stolen. His job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his son, Antonio combs the city, becoming desperate for justice.

Feels alike?
Sansho the Bailiff poster
Sansho the Bailiff
1954 Β· dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8.4drama

The same drama instincts

In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.

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12 Angry Men poster
12 Angry Men
1957 Β· dir. Sidney Lumet
πŸ… 100%β˜… 9drama

Drama approached the same way

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.

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

Film noir is the engine of both

The difference: Plays it as crime more than Ace in the Hole does

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

Feels alike?
An Autumn Afternoon poster
An Autumn Afternoon
1962 · dir. Yasujirō Ozu
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8drama

Cut from the same drama cloth

Widower Shuhei Hirayama's caretaker is his 24-year-old daughter, Michiko. Gradually, he comes to realize that Michiko should not be obliged to look after him for the rest of his life, so he arranges a marriage for her.

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

Atmosphere is the shared currency

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.

Feels alike?
Diary of a Country Priest poster
Diary of a Country Priest
1951 Β· dir. Robert Bresson
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.7drama

Both are drama through and through

An inexperienced, sickly priest shows up in the rural French community of Ambricourt, where he joins the community's clergy. But the locals don't take kindly to the priest, and his ascetic ways and unsociable demeanor make him an outcast. During Bible studies at the nearby girls school, he is continually mocked by his students. Then his attempt to intervene in a family feud backfires into a scandal. His failures, compounded with his declining health, begin to erode his faith.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

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