Ace in the Hole
A disgraced reporter manufactures a national rescue sensation in the New Mexico desert, turning human suffering into a ruthless ladder back to fame.
Overview
A reporter's ambition leads to a media frenzy with dire consequences.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- cynical
- bleak
- sardonic
- classic cinema night
- film noir marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Billy Wilder's film as a fierce, still-relevant work of cynical social satire powered by Kirk Douglas's intense performance, while some find its premise and plot mechanics exaggerated.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charles Tatum turns a trapped man's rescue into a career-making media spectacle, allowing ambition to drive the entire moral collapse.
The film attacks journalists, officials, tourists, and spectators as participants in a profitable culture of curiosity and exploitation.
Tatum feeds stories to major newspapers and prolongs the rescue to keep national attention fixed on the site.
The New Mexico rescue site becomes a crowded commercial attraction, with vendors and spectators gathering around the trapped man.
Films like Ace in the Hole, and why
The Sweet Smell of Success
Shares the film noir tradition, corrosive ambition, moral corruption, and a protagonist exploiting institutions for personal gain.
Network
Like Wilder's film, it uses a cynical drama and media-centered social satire to expose professional opportunism and public appetite for scandal.
Nightcrawler
Comparable for its film noir atmosphere, morally compromised protagonist, and bleak critique of sensationalist journalism and human exploitation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Release Date
- 1951-06-29
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (781)
Cast
- Kirk Douglas
- Jan Sterling
- Robert Arthur
- Porter Hall
- Frank Cady
- Richard Benedict
- Ray Teal
- Lewis Martin
- John Berkes
- Frances Dominguez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Brew, FlixFling, TCM, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ace in the Hole about?
- A disgraced reporter manufactures a national rescue sensation in the New Mexico desert, turning human suffering into a ruthless ladder back to fame.
- What is Ace in the Hole like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ace in the Hole as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ace in the Hole violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Ace in the Hole as mild.
- What did critics think of Ace in the Hole?
- Critics broadly regard Billy Wilder's film as a fierce, still-relevant work of cynical social satire powered by Kirk Douglas's intense performance, while some find its premise and plot mechanics exaggerated.
- Which films are like Ace in the Hole?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sweet Smell of Success, Network, and Nightcrawler.
- How long is Ace in the Hole?
- Ace in the Hole runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ace in the Hole?
- In United States, Ace in the Hole streams on Brew, FlixFling, TCM, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel.
