---
title: "Sunset Boulevard: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard"
critics_score: 87
critics_reviews: 21
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sunset Boulevard (1950): what the critics said

Critics' score 87 from 21 reviews: 19 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics strongly praise Sunset Boulevard as a darkly funny, unsettling account of Hollywood’s treatment of its own. Praise centres on Wilder’s sharp script and the performances: Gloria Swanson gives Norma Desmond both frightening intensity and sadness, while William Holden and Erich von Stroheim receive substantial recognition. The reviews also value the blend of satire, film noir and gothic horror, with the casting of silent-era figures making its portrait of discarded fame more pointed.

The spread is largely narrow and enthusiastic, with one sharp dissent over the film’s attitude towards its characters. Where most critics find sorrow beneath the cruelty, The New Yorker finds pretension and contempt for ageing stars, arguing that flashy photography and dialogue substitute for convincing tragedy, despite strong acting. The central disagreement is therefore about whether the film’s cynicism deepens its account of damaged lives or prevents those lives from carrying enough emotional weight.

## Radio Times — Tony Sloman

Rating 5/5. 

Sloman regards the film as a deeply satisfying work of cinematic genius. He praises Wilder’s witty construction and the superb casting.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-v1t65t/sunset-blvd/)

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★★★★. 5 December 2025. 

The critic calls it the greatest and smartest Hollywood satire ever made, praising Wilder's passion and anger as well as the performances of Swanson and Holden.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/this-is-the-smartest-hollywood-satire-ever-filmed-3pscxgbfj)

## Time Out

Rating 5/5. 21 September 2024. 

It's one of Wilder's finest and the blackest of Hollywood's self-accounts, narrated by a corpse in a swimming pool; the direction, performances (especially von Stroheim), and script are praised, though the film is noted for its cynicism toward humanity.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sunset-blvd-1)

## Empire — Colin Kennedy

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2007. 

The critic hails the film as a subtle, savage and insightful satire on Hollywood that remains moving and relevant. They single out the contrasting performances of Gloria Swanson and William Holden, along with the mordant wit and formal beauty of the production, for particular praise.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sunset-boulevard-sunset-blvd-review/)

## Little White Lies — Sam Moore

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2020. 

The critic praises the film's blend of Hollywood satire and gothic horror elements, highlighting its portrayal of Norma Desmond as a haunting figure trapped between past and present, and the meta-casting of silent era stars.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/sunset-boulevard-billy-wilder-gothic-horror)

## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 November 2012. 

The review calls the film a masterpiece and a tour of Hollywood’s village of the damned. It singles out the self-reflexive performances, especially Erich von Stroheim as Max, and Wilder’s biting exploration of fame, vanity, and the corrupting power of the industry.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/sunset-boulevard/)

## The AV Club — Matthew Jackson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2025. 

The critic celebrates the film's enduring prescience and haunting quality as a searing critique of Hollywood's ruthless treatment of its own. They highlight its timeless portrayal of discarded stars and writers clashing with an unforgiving industry machine.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sunset-boulevard-film-noir-small-pictures)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2025. 

The critic describes the film as a self-referential masterpiece and ghost story about Hollywood delusions. Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond is singled out as extraordinary, hilarious, crazed and intense.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/03/sunset-boulevard-review-billy-wilder-gloria-swanson-norma-desmond)

## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2022. 

The review hails the film as a triumph of motion picture craftsmanship and one of the all-time greats. It singles out the Brackett-Wilder script for its dramatic compulsion and emotional subtlety, along with Gloria Swanson's brilliant performance as the faded star.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sunset-boulevard-review-movie-1950-1235172387/)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 1950. 

The critic notes the film's surprising popular appeal despite its morbid story of corrupted lives and praises its brilliant, sharp, and corrosive quality as a study of greed, frustration, and Hollywood decay. It highlights the strong performances, especially William Holden's, and calls it tops in its genre.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1950/08/27/archives/hollywood-scandal-some-further-observations-on-the-nature-of-sunset.html)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2003. 

The critic calls it a vicious classic and exhilarating critique of the soul-corroding film industry. They single out Gloria Swanson's towering performance as Norma Desmond and the script's withering wit for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/sunset-boulevard-review/)

## The Telegraph

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2025. 

The piece presents the film as one of the most savage and hypnotically entertaining depictions of Hollywood hypocrisy and egomania ever made, highlighting its lasting influence and behind-the-scenes revelations.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/08/13/how-sunset-boulevard-exposed-the-dark-side-of-hollywood/)

## Variety — William Brogdon

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 1950. 

The critic calls the film a standout filmmaking job with a daring, iconoclastic approach that shatters illusions while perpetuating Hollywood myths. Strong praise goes to the topnotch technical skills and especially the performances by William Holden and Gloria Swanson.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1950/film/reviews/sunset-boulevard-2-1200416751/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page text is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is accessible.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-sunset-boulevard-1950)

## The New Yorker — Philip Hamburger

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 1950. 

The review finds the film pretentious and ultimately hollow, faulting the script for substituting flashy photography and dialogue for a genuine tragedy and showing unhealthy contempt for aging stars. It acknowledges engrossing scenes and strong acting from Swanson, von Stroheim, and Holden but deems the enterprise a failure overall.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1950/08/19/1950-08-19-070-tny-cards-000037837)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating A+. 27 March 2012. 

The review positions Sunset Boulevard as the apex of movies-about-movies, blending film noir with a sharp critique of Hollywood's transience and fakery through its tale of a screenwriter and faded star. They praise the endlessly quotable script, meta casting, and relentless entertainment value as making it one of the director's finest.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-films-of-billy-wilder-a-retrospective-20120327/2/)

## The Skinny — Graham McIntosh

Rating ★★★★★. 15 July 2006. 

The review hails the film as one of the greatest ever made and essential for collectors. It praises Gloria Swanson's portrayal of the delusional Norma Desmond for evoking pity and fear, along with Erich von Stroheim's supporting turn and the array of legendary cameos.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/sunset-boulevard)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2025. 

The 1950 Billy Wilder classic remains one of Hollywood’s greatest and most enduring films, a scathing black comedy about the industry that still feels relevant today. It singles out the film’s honest depiction of how the business discards its stars and the power of its restored 4K presentation for modern audiences.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/08/sunset-boulevard-75th-anniversary-nancy-olson-livingston-1236482533/)

## Paste — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 July 2018. 

The critic hails Billy Wilder's meta noir as a cynical critique of showbiz and postwar alienation, wickedly funny with a dead narrator and Gloria Swanson's magnificent, sad performance as Norma Desmond.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/ranking-the-films-of-billy-wilder)

## Den of Geek — Tony Sokol

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2019. 

The piece celebrates Sunset Boulevard as a landmark film noir that demystifies old Hollywood myths and exposes industry cynicism. It singles out the strong performances, particularly Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond and Erich von Stroheim as Max, along with the film's sharp behind-the-scenes insights.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sunset-boulevard-the-original-hollywood-expose/)

## Film Stories — Sarah Cook

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2021. 

The critic calls Sunset Boulevard a darkly comic film noir and the most scathing indictment of Hollywood's cynical machine, with its story of a struggling writer entangled with a faded silent star. They single out the film's narration and portrayal of desperate, deluded characters like Norma Desmond as particularly haunting and effective.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/news/old-movies-sunset-boulevard-and-the-golden-age-of-hollywood/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md