The Black Dahlia

R

Released Sep 15, 2006

2h 1m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

List

32%

Tomatometer

192 Reviews

27%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Two cops in 1940s Los Angeles investigate the murder of a Hollywood starlet (Mia Kirshner), and one (Aaron Eckhart) puts his marriage in jeopardy by obsessing over the crime, while the other (Josh Hartnett) becomes involved with a woman (Hilary Swank) from a prominent family, who happens to have an unsavory tie to the victim.

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Critics Consensus

Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

You have to wonder just how vibrant the film would have been during the Reagan or Clinton administration, when De Palma was in his prime.

Mar 24, 2007

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

Reverse Shot

Ghost World: Keith Uhlich on The Black Dahlia for Reverse Shot's Brian de Palma symposium.

Nov 11, 2006

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Forty-five minutes in, I was already glancing at my watch and wondering why the only lively actress in this film was playing the dead girl. Go figure.

Rated: 1.5/5

Sep 30, 2006

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Until it derails while heading into its final turn, The Black Dahlia represents Brian De Palma's most assured moviemaking in at least a decade.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 13, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

De Palma has managed to turn a two-hour movie about a substantial, significant, unusually gruesome real-life mystery into something of a bore.

Rated: 5/10

Nov 15, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

A lover of not only film noir, but the grandeur and grotesqueness of early Hollywood and Los Angeles, the only thing given to me by the THE BLACK DAHLIA is a black hole of disappointment. I think it's time to revisit the novel.

Nov 7, 2019

Full Review

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Heidi A

Lukewarm, mess of storytelling, boring and lacking in engaging material. i doggedly persisted til the end, but shouldnt have bothered.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/17/24

Full Review

Jelisije J

An enjoyable neo noir film that has a lovely cast and has enough plot twists that keeps you engaged throughout its run time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

Full Review

Alec B

The cinematography is undeniably beautiful, but there are about three different incoherent movies stuffed into this mess.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Jeff N

Never even finished the movie. The worst story telling I've ever experienced. Can I have the hour and a half of my life back?

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

Geo3 F

For a crime movie based on a true story, I expected more, as at times the film drags on which makes it boring to watch. However, as it concludes, the plot begins to make sense as it feels all over the place throughout it. Overall, a fine film that borrows ideas from sin city and crime thrillers but is executed poorly.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/05/23

Full Review

Jill C

I will never forget watching this in the theatre and halfway through asking my friend if they had any idea what was going on and they said "no". We stayed hoping it would eventually make sense. When the credits started to roll the guy behind me said "what the f*** was that?" Needless to say he read my mind. To this day I still tell people this is the worst movie I have ever sat all the way through.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/09/23

Full Review

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Brian De Palma

Director

Josh Hartnett

Officer Dwight Bleichert

Scarlett Johansson

Kay Lake

Aaron Eckhart

Sgt. Leland Blanchard

Hilary Swank

Madeleine Sprague

Mia Kirshner

Elizabeth Short

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The Black Dahlia: Official Clip - Gangland Shootout

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The Black Dahlia: Official Clip - The Ice Cream Girl's Film

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The Black Dahlia: Official Clip - Grief and Love

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The Black Dahlia: Official Clip - The Boxing Match

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The Black Dahlia: Official Clip - The Cruelest Joke

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Synopsis

Two cops in 1940s Los Angeles investigate the murder of a Hollywood starlet (Mia Kirshner), and one (Aaron Eckhart) puts his marriage in jeopardy by obsessing over the crime, while the other (Josh Hartnett) becomes involved with a woman (Hilary Swank) from a prominent family, who happens to have an unsavory tie to the victim.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: Art Linson, Moshe Diamant, Rudy Cohen
Screenwriter: Josh Friedman
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Signature Pictures
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Grisly Images|Strong Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 15, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.5M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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