A searing example of writer-director Billy Wilder at his most brilliantly misanthropic. An uncompromising portrait of human nature at its worst, the film was so far ahead of its time in its depiction of a media circus and the public's appetite for tragedy that it was a commercial disaster when first released, but now stands as one of the great American films of the 1950s.
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
It's dark, funny, ferocious, and vintage Wilder all the way.
Ace in the Hole is an acquired taste -- and an unforgettable one.
80
Variety
Variety
Billy Wilder's direction captures the feel of morbid expectancy that always comes out in the curious that flock to scenes of tragedy.
50
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Ace in the Hole is a movie about the fascination of disaster that is itself a fascinating disaster.
40
Film ThreatPhil Hall
Film ThreatPhil Hall
So ham-handed and relentlessly overbaked that it is easy to see why audiences initially stayed away from it. Just when and how did anyone come to see this as a classic?