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Trailer

The Bad and the Beautiful

1952Movie1 h 58 minNR

DramaRomance
79
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.7Metacritic867.1Rotten Tomatoes79%86%

A slow-burning, tense drama movie about everyday modern life and show business, with standout performances and characters.

Good for date night · friends night · teens

Skip it if you want fast pacing · you want to half-watch while scrolling

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Not for laughs, warmth or scares.

Movies with

Story

I took you out of the gutter... I can fling you back!

Told in flashback form, the film traces the rise and fall of a tough, ambitious Hollywood producer, Jonathan Shields, as seen through the eyes of various acquaintances, including a writer, James Lee Bartlow; a star, Georgia Lorrison; and a director, Fred Amiel. He is a hard-driving, ambitious man who ruthlessly uses everyone on the way to becoming one of Hollywood's top movie makers.

Feels like

  • Hollywood Drama
  • Character Study
  • Ruthless Ambition
  • Noir-tinged
  • Cynical
  • Flashback Structure
  • Complex Relationships
  • Behind-the-Scenes
  • Moral Ambiguity

Cast

24 of 61

Crew

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli
Written by
Charles Schnee, George Bradshaw
Produced by
John Houseman
Music by
David Raksin

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 25, 1952 · 1 h 58 min · NR

Released
December 25, 1952
Runtime
1 h 58 min
Age rating
NR
Content
Strong Language
Genres
Drama, Romance
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$2 million
Box office
$3 million
Available in
20 countries

Tropes

B-Movie, Hanging Our Clothes to Dry, How We Got Here +9

  • B-Movie
  • Hanging Our Clothes to Dry
  • How We Got Here
  • Epic Movie
  • Take That!
  • Video Credits
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
  • Horrible Hollywood
  • Madonna-Whore Complex
  • Executive Meddling
  • The Noun and the Noun
  • Lonely Funeral

12 of 58 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Bad and the Beautiful?"

Questions about The Bad and the Beautiful

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Bad and the Beautiful?

Hoopla

In the United States, The Bad and the Beautiful is free with ads on Hoopla. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 7 other countries.

Is The Bad and the Beautiful worth watching?

79
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 79 (IMDb 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes 79%, and Metacritic 86).

Is The Bad and the Beautiful good for date night?

and 2 moreDate NightPartner WatchAdultsFriends NightPublic Viewing Safe

Yes: romance is 7 of 10, and the viewing guide lists it for date night.

Is The Bad and the Beautiful plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and dialogue centrality (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

What tropes does The Bad and the Beautiful use?

B-MovieHanging Our Clothes to DryHow We Got HereEpic MovieTake That!Video CreditsScrew the Money, I Have Rules!Horrible HollywoodMadonna-Whore ComplexExecutive MeddlingThe Noun and the NounLonely Funeraland 46 more

TV Tropes lists 58 tropes for it, including B-Movie, Hanging Our Clothes to Dry, and How We Got Here.