Sunset Boulevard
A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.
Directed by Billy Wilder · Drama · Film-Noir · 110 min · 1950
Trailer
Director
Billy Wilder
Writer
Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D. M. Marshman Jr.
Studio
Paramount Pictures
Release
04 Aug 1950
Runtime
110 min
Genres
Drama, Film-Noir
Full Plot
Desperate for cash, screenwriter Joe Gillis has a chance meeting with a faded silent film star. Norma Desmond lives in her crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion with only her butler to keep her company. She has become a sad demented recluse convinced that the outside world is clamoring for her dramatic return. Enticing him with the prospect of script work she puts him up in her mansion and he becomes ever more involved and entangled in her life.
Cast & Characters
Joe Gillis (Joseph C. Gillis)
William Holden
Norma Desmond
Gloria Swanson
Max von Mayerling
Erich von Stroheim
Betty Schaefer
Nancy Olson
Sheldrake, film producer
Fred Clark
Morino, Joe's agent
Lloyd Gough
Artie Green
Jack Webb
undertaker
Franklyn Farnum
finance man #1
Larry J. Blake
finance man #2
Charles Dayton
New Year's Eve party guest
Jack Warden
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $1.8M, Sunset Boulevard has grossed $5.0M worldwide — about 2.9x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Billy Wilder has directed 5 films in our catalog, including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know that Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles has been associated with Hollywood film production since 1911?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that luxurious homes were built in the area during the 1920s, often featuring grandeur and incongruity?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that Billy Wilder was inspired by American culture after living in Berlin in the 1920s?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Sunset Boulevard holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (260,869 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (260,869 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sunset Boulevard's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Sunset Boulevard holds a 98% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Sunset Boulevard's IMDb rating?+
Sunset Boulevard has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 260,869 votes.
What is Sunset Boulevard's Metacritic score?+
Sunset Boulevard has a Metascore of 94/100 on Metacritic.
Is Sunset Boulevard good? What are critics saying?+
Sunset Boulevard holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (260,869 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Sunset Boulevard?+
Sunset Boulevard has a runtime of 110 min.
Who directed Sunset Boulevard?+
Sunset Boulevard was directed by Billy Wilder.
Where can I watch Sunset Boulevard?+
Sunset Boulevard is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, Kanopy, JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, Curzon Home Cinema.
Fan & Critic Buzz
Reviewers praised Gloria Swanson's iconic performance as Norma Desmond, citing her "magnificent" portrayal of the fading star. Reviewers also commended William Holden's understated role, with one noting his character is a "down-at-heel script writer struggling to keep his head above water.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
A classic for the must to be seen list. Gloria Swanson is magnificent.
Andres Gomez · 8/10**One of the great films of Hollywood's golden age.** This movie is really special. Not only does it show us a lot about the world of Hollywood during its golden age, but it also reveals a lot about the actors' egos, vanities and their titanic struggles to preserve their careers…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 10/10"Gillis" (William Holden) is a down-at-heel script writer who is struggling to keep his head above water. Not having had any successes for a while, his car is about to be repossessed and his erstwhile boss "Sheldrake" (Fred Clark) has nothing for him. On the run from the pursuing…
CinemaSerf · 7/10Ace! <em>'Sunset Boulevard'</em> is a splendid flick from 1950. I will note that I found the middle to be ever so slightly less interesting than the beginning and ending, though even so overall I most definitely enjoyed watching it. Love the dialogue, the score is excellent too.…
r96sk · 9/10IMHO...This is a straight up Horror film. A demented, faded star of the Silent era takes in a down on his luck writer... and basically keeps him as a boy toy/hostage. She has a creepy attraction to the much younger man. Her house and butler are straight out of Hammer Film. That b…
MrDeltoid77 · 9/10Billy Wilder's _Sunset Boulevard_ is a masterpiece of black comedy and savage Hollywood critique, a film so dark and so funny that it becomes something singular. Everything about it is wonderful: the performances, the direction, the audacity of its premise, the cruelty of its vis…
badelf · 10/10For me, one of the most astonishing things about this incredible film was the idea that Norma (50 year old Gloria Swanson) would not be attractive to Joe, (30 year old William Holden). She may be a bit kooky, but man, those eyes! Some people over the years declared themselves put…
BrownSTHLM · 9/10
From the trailer's comments
75 years have done nothing to diminish this film. It stands for all time as one of the greatest. I rather liked the new trailer's treatment.
@ilmetric1 · 110 likesThe meta of this movie is off the charts. Wilder was a genius, and Swanson... a very brave performance supported by the history of her career.
@davidwilliams5749 · 85 likesit's THE greatest movie ever produced by a Hollywood studio, period
@eddjoey · 72 likesOne of the greatest motion pictures; Ever.
@EagleRockers · 26 likesI hope we can have a re-release in our cities’ local cinema theaters. Studios should do this with all their classics and revitalize theaters.
@carlsanm1 · 31 likesProbably the greatest performance by an actress in any film.
@briankooker2627 · 32 likesPreordered this so fast, can’t wait to see it in 4K
@jamesb821 · 19 likesThe Hollywood film about Hollywood to end all films about Hollywood ❤❤
@joanbecenti8938 · 10 likes
