This cynical, noir-adjacent film about a hotshot reporter who inserts himself into the story still stands the test of time
The journalism industry today looks strikingly different to the journalism industry of 70-odd years ago, when Billy Wilder’s 1951 masterpiece, Ace in the Hole, rolled into town. But if you think its messages might be outdated, au contraire: like Sidney Lumet’s Network (another vivisectional and scathingly cynical satire of media spectacle), the film remains strikingly relevant and scorchingly hot to the touch, told with cyclonic force and style.
A sensationally smug Kurt Douglas stars as Chuck Tatum, a hotshot city reporter who arrives in a small town hoping to land a story that’ll catapult him back to the big time. He marches into the news desk of a humble rag in Albuquerque, dripping bravado, bragging to the publisher about how he’s been fired from 11 newspapers. It’s clear this guy has burned every bridge, but we assume he’s good at his job.
Ace in the Hole is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+ in Australia, US and UK. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
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