Living in Oblivion

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Living in Oblivion

R

1995

1h 30m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Independent film director Nick Reve is making his first feature. Everything that can go wrong does: the rebellious catering crew refuses to replace spoiled milk, his actors are flaky and getting an unspoiled take is nearly impossible. Tension between lead actress Nicole and actor Chad, who have just slept together, contributes to the many problems on set. As money and time run out, Nick struggles to complete his film.

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Critics Consensus

Living in Oblivion dives into the folly of filmmaking with a sharp satire that sends up indie cinema while working as an entertaining independent picture in its own right.

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Manohla Dargis

Spin

Apr 18, 2022

A ten-minute joke stretched to near exhaustion.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Jan 10, 2022

Slight but smart, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Sep 7, 2011

A-

A hip indie version of Truffaut's Day for Night, Living in Oblivion celebrates the very act of filmmaking as grand folly, a triumph of absurdist heroism.

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

Apr 21, 2022

I cannot praise Living In Oblivion too highly, but I doubt that it will make fifty million dollars the moment it is shown.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Feb 27, 2022

FOUR STARS

Tom DeCillo's hilarious comedy about the pain in the ass of independent filmmaking circa 1995 is a hoot.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Jun 23, 2007

3/4

DiCillo effectively uses dream sequences and black-and-white film to spoof the pretentiousness of indie films, but remains thoughtful and clever throughout. And every performance is spot-on.

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David M

@DavidMcKimmie Aug 16, 2026

For theatre folk the nightmare is someone saying ‘you’re on’ as they push you in stage. For film folk, it’s this.

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Lobo T

@Lobotd Jul 19, 2026

Living in Oblivion is a love letter to filmmaking written in coffee stains, nervous breakdowns, and beautifully timed disasters. It turns every production nightmare into comedy gold, proving that making movies is often far crazier than watching them. Beneath all the ego collisions and gloriously awkward chaos is something surprisingly touching: a reminder that every great film begins as an impossible mess held together by stubborn dreamers. It's hilarious, razor-sharp, and somehow manages to celebrate cinematic insanity without ever losing its heart. If you've ever loved movies, this one lets you laugh at the beautiful circus behind the curtain.

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Belinda R

@Ondine May 10, 2026

Laugh out loud funny. It somehow refuses to be dated in its satire, even with its own B movie production values. Great performances all around with killer direction & script.

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Scott E

@RT19581245 Dec 13, 2025

Unusual, fun, not particularly deep, enjoyable to watch.

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Cameron B

@CameronLand Oct 1, 2025

Slight but smart, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

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john h

@RT11274104 Jun 1, 2025

Living In Oblivion is a 1995 comedy about a director struggling to pull his cast and crew together to make his film. The cinematography is satisfying; the comedic set mess-ups are almost cliche but surprisingly a realistic possibility and performances by the entire cast is beyond entertainingly engaging.

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Tom DiCillo

Director

Steve Buscemi

Nick Reve

Catherine Keener

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Synopsis

Independent film director Nick Reve is making his first feature. Everything that can go wrong does: the rebellious catering crew refuses to replace spoiled milk, his actors are flaky and getting an unspoiled take is nearly impossible. Tension between lead actress Nicole and actor Chad, who have just slept together, contributes to the many problems on set. As money and time run out, Nick struggles to complete his film.

Director: Tom DiCillo
Producer: Michael Griffiths, Marcus Viscidi
Screenwriter: Tom DiCillo
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: JDI Productions, Lemon Sky Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 17, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.0K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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