Under the Silver Lake

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2:15

Under the Silver Lake

R

2019

2h 19m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Sam is a disenchanted 33-year-old who discovers a mysterious woman, Sarah, frolicking in his apartment's swimming pool. When she vanishes, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal, and conspiracy in the City of Angels.

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Critics Consensus

Under the Silver Lake hits its stride slightly more often than it stumbles, but it's hard not to admire - or be drawn in by - writer-director David Robert Mitchell's ambition.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

07/04/2019

3/4

If a talented filmmaker opening the throttle of his imagination as wide as it can go appeals to you, you should give "Under the Silver Lake" a look.

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David Stratton

The Australian

06/14/2019

3.5/5

I'm prepared to give Mitchell the benefit of the doubt. His film looks great, and even though it lacks the discipline that might have made it a classic of its kind, it's well worth travelling down these mean cinematic streets.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

06/11/2019

2/5

[Director David Robert] Mitchell has a gift for arresting and slightly discomfiting imagery, but he either can't, or won't, submit to the editing discipline that would give the film pace and drive.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

10/10/2024

There’s a lot to unpack with Under the Silver Lake, and this is why I regard it as an interesting film despite its flaws. Given time, I believe this film could go on to be taken far more seriously...

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

07/14/2024

2/5

Feels like superfluous overstuffing in an attempt to be cryptic.

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Aaron Charles

InSession Film

05/10/2024

D

By the end of the film, I no longer cared about the conspiracy Sam is trying to uncover. That's a fatal flaw for any noir.

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S. O

@Col._Angus Jun 9

It's so bad you literally won't care how it ends, if you're still awake

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Daryl D.

@DmacVisuals Jun 8

Conspiracy theorists applaud this one

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Daniel R.

@RT27147781 Jun 3

There was as much nonsense as there was genius! I enjoyed the genius thoroughly!

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 May 11

Under the Silver Lake (2018) Life Is Too Short to Spend Watching This Long Nonsense (12,436 – 10 May 2026 – Claudio Carvalho) "Under the Silver Lake" (2018) is an awful, overrated movie that goes nowhere by David Robert Mitchell, who seems to be tripping. Life is too short to spend watching this long nonsense. I regret the time I have lost that will never come back. My vote is one. Title (Brazil): "O Mistério de Silver Lake" ("The Mystery of Silver Lake") My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/

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Robert W

@RT34973803 May 5

Under the Silver Lake mistakes clutter for complexity and aimlessness for depth. Sam isn't a critique of toxic masculinity—he's just toxic, and the film indulges him for 140 minutes. Dozens of cryptic puzzles lead nowhere, because "nihilism" is the excuse for lazy writing. The billionaire death cult reveal is both absurd and pointless, leaving Sam exactly where he started: broke, alone, and unwatchable. Mitchell wants credit for deconstructing noir without ever building a coherent one. This isn't a puzzle box—it's a junk drawer. Skip it and watch Chinatown or The Long Goodbye instead.

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Tristan C

@RT75770054 Apr 6

Loved every second - a dreamy film that makes you think. Lovely style and cinematography, some great characters. Make of it what you will, it's certainly not for everyone but it might be a new favourite.

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Under the Silver Lake: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Sam is a disenchanted 33-year-old who discovers a mysterious woman, Sarah, frolicking in his apartment's swimming pool. When she vanishes, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal, and conspiracy in the City of Angels.

Director: David Robert Mitchell
Producer: Chris Bender, Michael De Luca, Adele Romanski, Jake Weiner
Screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell
Distributor: A24
Production Co: A24, Vendian Entertainment, Salem Street Entertainment, Pastel, Mongrel Media
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Graphic Nudity|Some Drug Use|Strong Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 23, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $35.3K
Runtime: 2h 19m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)