Skip to content
MovieCove
The Black Dahlia

The Black Dahlia

Inspired by the most notorious unsolved murder in California history.

2006121 minRMidcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Director
Brian De Palma
Starring
Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank

In 1940s Los Angeles, two former boxers-turned-cops must grapple with corruption, narcissism, stag films and family madness as they pursue the killer of an aspiring young actress.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Black Dahlia?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Black Dahlia to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Black Dahlia?

The Black Dahlia earns 10 badges, led by Visual feast and Overhyped.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is The Black Dahlia worth watching?

The Black Dahlia's Midcredits score is the 23rd percentile of all films, from 127K ratings across 6 sources. 29% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

23rd percentile

Better received than 23% of films

21st percentile among Crime23rd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)28th
Approval (how many liked it)21st

55 /100

28th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Crime28th percentile among 2000s

Critics 49 · Audience 55

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

29% liked it

21st percentile of all films

20th percentile among Crime19th percentile among 2000s
29% rated it 7–1071% rated it 1–6

Critics 32% · Audience 27%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 15 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Cinematography

97th percentile

127K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Crime94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$10M
Domestic gross$23M
Worldwide gross$49M

Returned 1.0× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is visually gorgeous but narratively messy.

Fans praised

  • seductive period atmosphere and sumptuous visual design
  • strong supporting turns from Swank and Kirshner
  • ambitious, stylized noir homage with standout crane shots

Detractors panned

  • convoluted, bloated plot that sidelines the actual murder
  • miscast leads and flamboyant overacting

What stands out

Cinematography80

lush period lighting, elegant crane shots, beautiful evocation of 1940s LA

Atmosphere72

strong period immersion; sets and costumes praised even by haters

ActingDivisive47

divisive performances; Swank and Kirshner praised, Hartnett and Eckhart criticized as wooden or overwrought

CharactersDivisive35

thinly drawn archetypes; fan camp sees them as noir pastiche, detractors call them cardboard

Dialogue35

clichéd and stilted; some fans see genre-appropriate, most find it laughable

Plot and storyDivisive30

convoluted, overstuffed with subplots; fans accept complexity, most call it incoherent

PacingDivisive25

slow, meandering first half; rushed, overlong denouement

EndingDivisive25

abrupt, exposition-heavy resolution with too many coincidences

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 15 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is The Black Dahlia like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: middle
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Campy · 4% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its noir tropes and melodrama with a straight face, but occasionally veers into campy excess.
The rideThe detective work builds tension, with a melancholic undercurrent and moments of dread as the case darkens.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional linear chronology from the murder to its resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe convoluted resolution and noir fatalism leave an unsettled, melancholic aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

Why this archetypeThe story centers on the investigation into Elizabeth Short's murder, with the resolution coming from Bucky unraveling a web of corruption and family secrets.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeBucky's obsessive pursuit of the Black Dahlia case consumes his life and unravels his moral compass, set against a backdrop of systemic corruption and obsession with image.
StanceThe film interrogates obsession and the dark underbelly of Hollywood, questioning justice and morality.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · original score · Mark Isham
Setting1947 Los Angeles, from police precincts to Hollywood glamour and seedy backlots
MusicIsham's score blends noir jazz with classical textures to enhance the period atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Black Dahlia okay for kids?

R

The Black Dahlia is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (97/100), sexual content at moderate (54/100), language at severe (88/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (42/100) and frightening material at intense (75/100). Overall it is heavier than 90% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyVM14
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 94% of all filmsHeavier than 90% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 88%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Black Dahlia have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Black Dahlia?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Josh Hartnett
as Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Scarlett Johansson
as Kay Lake
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aaron Eckhart
as Lee Blanchard
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Hilary Swank
as Madeleine Linscott
Mia Kirshner
as Elizabeth Short
Mike Starr
as Det. Russ Millard
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Fiona Shaw
as Ramona Linscott
Patrick Fischler
as Deputy DA Ellis Loew
James Otis
as Dolph Bleichert
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Kavanagh
as Emmett Linscott

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Black Dahlia?

Movies like The Black Dahlia include Strange Days (1995), Lonely Hearts (2006) and Body Double (1984). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by James Ellroy, and most are neo-noirs.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Brian De Palma directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Black Dahlia?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.