Overview
In a city of dreams, the past and present collide as aspirations fade and new ones ignite.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- bittersweet
- wistful
- witty
- quiet evening
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a bittersweet, reflective, and eccentric romance elevated by Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon's heartfelt performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The demolition of Lou, Sally, and Grace's apartment building mirrors Atlantic City's replacement of decaying structures with casinos and hotels.
Lou's faded gangster mythology and Grace's abandoned Betty Grable ambitions contrast with Sally's still-active plans for a casino career.
The characters' dreams are alternately dashed and reawakened as criminal upheaval disrupts their settled lives.
Louis Malle observes apartment rituals, casino streets, demolition, and local subcultures with an offbeat eye for detail.
Films like Atlantic City, and why
The Last Picture Show
shared bittersweet character drama, aging dreamers, and crime threaded through an unconventional romance
Midnight Cowboy
shared melancholic urban transformation, morally compromised characters, and reflective crime drama
Harold and Maude
shared eccentric romantic tension, aging protagonists, and a wistful portrait of people pursuing reinvention
The Long Goodbye
shared crime plot, intimate character study, and bittersweet examination of disappointed aspirations
Movie Details
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Release Date
- 1980-09-03
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (310)
Cast
- Burt Lancaster
- Susan Sarandon
- Kate Reid
- Michel Piccoli
- Hollis McLaren
- Robert Joy
- Al Waxman
- Robert Goulet
- Moses Znaimer
- Angus MacInnes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Atlantic City about?
- In a decaying Atlantic City apartment block, three dreamers find fragile chances for reinvention when a stolen cocaine cache brings danger to their doorstep.
- What is Atlantic City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Atlantic City as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Atlantic City violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Atlantic City as moderate.
- What did critics think of Atlantic City?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a bittersweet, reflective, and eccentric romance elevated by Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon's heartfelt performances.
- Which films are like Atlantic City?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Picture Show, Midnight Cowboy, Harold and Maude, and The Long Goodbye.
- How long is Atlantic City?
- Atlantic City runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Atlantic City?
- In United States, Atlantic City streams on YouTube TV.
