Overview
A lighthearted exploration of temptation and fantasy in the heart of New York City.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- breezy
- sardonic
- classic movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film funny and charming, especially praising Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, while noting that censorship weakens its adulterous premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Richard Sherman's attraction to his upstairs neighbor is repeatedly staged through his own increasingly elaborate imagination rather than consummated action.
The premise centers on adultery and sexual temptation, while the film's chaste resolution reflects the censorship limits of 1950s Hollywood.
With Helen and their son away, Richard treats bachelor freedom as an opportunity while rationalizing his attraction to the neighbor.
Marilyn Monroe's Girl is presented as the object of Richard's fascination, while his fantasies reveal more about him than about her.
Films like The Seven Year Itch, and why
The Apartment
Shared romantic comedy structure, marital temptation, witty social observation, and a fantasizing protagonist constrained by convention.
Some Like It Hot
Shared classic hollywood romantic comedy tone, gender politics, flirtation, and an urban setting shaped by social expectations.
Design for Living
Shared domestic dissatisfaction, comic infidelity anxieties, and a sophisticated blend of desire and self-deprecating humor.
Movie Details
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Release Date
- 1955-06-03
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1023)
Cast
- Marilyn Monroe
- Tom Ewell
- Evelyn Keyes
- Sonny Tufts
- Robert Strauss
- Oskar Homolka
- Marguerite Chapman
- Victor Moore
- Dolores Rosedale
- Donald MacBride
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Brew, Darkroom, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Seven Year Itch about?
- A married New York writer’s summer solitude turns into a buoyant comic reckoning with temptation, fantasy, and the limits of respectable desire.
- What is The Seven Year Itch like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Seven Year Itch as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Seven Year Itch violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Seven Year Itch.
- What did critics think of The Seven Year Itch?
- Critics broadly find the film funny and charming, especially praising Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, while noting that censorship weakens its adulterous premise.
- Which films are like The Seven Year Itch?
- Films with a similar feel include The Apartment, Some Like It Hot, and Design for Living.
- How long is The Seven Year Itch?
- The Seven Year Itch runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Seven Year Itch?
- In United States, The Seven Year Itch streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Brew, Darkroom, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
