Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- rueful
- measured
- late night mystery viewing
- rainy day noir
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film compelling chiefly because of its nuanced veteran performances, despite a deliberately slow pace and mechanically familiar mystery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack Ames is dying of cancer, while retired detective Harry Ross confronts aging, memory, and the unresolved past.
Ross becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of Catherine's former husband from two decades earlier.
The investigation moves through wealthy Los Angeles circles and sleek, unusual locations in the Malibu hills.
Ross's relationships with Jack Ames and fellow ex-cop Raymond Hope give the investigation a reflective interpersonal dimension.
Films like Twilight, and why
The Long Goodbye
Shared neo-noir murder mystery, aging detective protagonist, melancholic atmosphere, and Los Angeles setting
Chinatown
Shared private-eye investigation, morally tangled suspects, noir fatalism, and deliberate pacing
The Late Show
Shared autumnal crime drama, veteran detective perspective, subdued suspense, and themes of mortality
The Two Jakes
Shared neo-noir crime investigation, wealthy social milieu, and reflective mood centered on an aging protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Benton
- Release Date
- 1998-03-06
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (231)
Cast
- Paul Newman
- Susan Sarandon
- Gene Hackman
- Reese Witherspoon
- Stockard Channing
- James Garner
- Giancarlo Esposito
- Liev Schreiber
- Margo Martindale
- John Spencer
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Twilight about?
- A retired Los Angeles detective enters a blackmail scheme that reopens an old disappearance among a wealthy, dying Hollywood couple.
- What is Twilight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Twilight as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Twilight violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Twilight as moderate.
- What did critics think of Twilight?
- Critics broadly found the film compelling chiefly because of its nuanced veteran performances, despite a deliberately slow pace and mechanically familiar mystery.
- Which films are like Twilight?
- Films with a similar feel include The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, The Late Show, and The Two Jakes.
- How long is Twilight?
- Twilight runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Twilight?
- In United States, Twilight is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
