Under the Silver Lake

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2:15

Under the Silver Lake

R

Released Apr 19, 2019

2h 19m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

500+ 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

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.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 4, 2019

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David Stratton

The Australian

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.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 14, 2019

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

[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.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 11, 2019

Full Review

Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

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...

Oct 10, 2024

Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

Feels like superfluous overstuffing in an attempt to be cryptic.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Aaron Charles

InSession Film

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.

Rated: D

May 10, 2024

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Jackson A. M

One of my favorite movies, such good story and casting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

Madam D

3.25 stars. Good acting, pretty film, good music & plot kept me watching. However, got bored with all the decyphering. Especially from a character who couldn't figure out how to pay his bills. Life to me is figuring out what is really worthwhile & focusing on that.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

Sydne O

DYING TO REACH ULTIMATE HEDONISM? SEEMS LIKE DENYING REALITY OF HELL.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

Full Review

Charlotte H

I watched this because of the mixed reviews it’s had. Personally I thought it was endearing and engaging, but can understand why some people “just don’t get it”. It’s confusing, it’s muddled, but it has a flow that is refreshingly individual. Obvious nods to the great, unconventional directors of recent times, with a smattering of the classics. The beauty of the characters, although set in LA, went against convention. Yes, the women had bodies I would die for, but they weren’t “Hollywood”. They were “Normal”, kookie, yes, but “Normal”. I expected an ambiguous ending, that didn’t surprise, but the painted sets and the obvious prosthetics, added to it’s beauty.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/18/25

Full Review

john h

Perhaps the most loveable facet about Under the Silver Lake is that we are just as oblivious as the protagonist, but the big ideas and theories that the film bravely offers for either pure entertainment or pure theory is regarded by half of mainstream audiences as pretentious and non-sensical.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Stuart R

I have no idea what David Robert Mitchell was going with here. 🍀

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/29/25

Full Review

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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)

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