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Trailer

The Bonfire of the Vanities

1990Movie2 h 5 minR

ComedyDrama
34
BadGoodWatch score
IMDb5.6Letterboxd2.7/5Metacritic274.5Rotten Tomatoes15%26%

A relentlessly bleak, intriguing comedy movie about everyday modern life and society.

Good for date night · friends night · drop-in friendly

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want to half-watch while scrolling

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, uplift or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Take one Wall Street tycoon, his Fifth Avenue mistress, a reporter hungry for fame, and make the wrong turn in The Bronx...then sit back and watch the sparks fly.

After his mistress runs over a black teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight; A down-and-out reporter breaks the story and opportunists clamber to use it to their advantage.

Feels like

  • Social Satire
  • Moral Decay
  • Urban Drama
  • Class Conflict
  • Media Scrutiny
  • Ambition & Downfall
  • New York City
  • Greed & Corruption
  • Power Dynamics

Cast

24 of 58

Crew

Directed by
Brian De Palma
Written by
Michael Cristofer, Tom Wolfe
Produced by
Brian De Palma
Music by
Dave Grusin

Everyone

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

Facts

December 21, 1990 · 2 h 5 min · R

Released
December 21, 1990
Runtime
2 h 5 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$47 million
Box office
$16 million
Available in
75 countries

Tropes

Caught on Tape, Bolivian Army Ending, World of Jerkass +9

  • Caught on Tape
  • Bolivian Army Ending
  • World of Jerkass
  • Two Lines, No Waiting
  • Caught in the Bad Part of Town
  • Writers Suck
  • Serial Novel
  • Pretty in Mink
  • Tabloid Melodrama
  • Quote Mine
  • First-Person Peripheral Narrator
  • Scary Black Man

12 of 50 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream The Bonfire of the Vanities?"

Questions about The Bonfire of the Vanities

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Bonfire of the Vanities?

The RokuKanopyFandango at Home FreePlexTubi TV

In the United States, The Bonfire of the Vanities is free with ads on The Roku, Kanopy, Fandango at Home Free, Plex, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 3 other countries.

Is The Bonfire of the Vanities worth watching?

34
BadGoodWatch score

Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 34 (IMDb 5.6, Letterboxd 2.7 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 15%, and Metacritic 27). Audiences rate it higher (45 out of 100) than critics (21).

Will The Bonfire of the Vanities make me laugh?

Light

Now and then: the humor is mostly sharp wit (7 of 10) and satire (6 of 10).

Will I feel good after watching The Bonfire of the Vanities?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

Was The Bonfire of the Vanities a box office flop?

Budget$47 million
Box office$16 million

Yes: it cost about $47 million to make and earned $16 million worldwide, 33% of its budget.

What tropes does The Bonfire of the Vanities use?

Caught on TapeBolivian Army EndingWorld of JerkassTwo Lines, No WaitingCaught in the Bad Part of TownWriters SuckSerial NovelPretty in MinkTabloid MelodramaQuote MineFirst-Person Peripheral NarratorScary Black Manand 38 more

TV Tropes lists 50 tropes for it, including Caught on Tape, Bolivian Army Ending, and World of Jerkass.