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The Lost Weekend

The Lost Weekend

Drama · 1945

Longtime alcoholic Don Birnam has been sober for ten days and appears to be over the worst... but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother and girlfriend, he begins a four-day bender that just might be his last – one way or another.

Movie details

The Lost Weekend

“The screen dares to open the strange and savage pages of a shocking bestseller!”

1945 Drama 1h 41m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Longtime alcoholic Don Birnam has been sober for ten days and appears to be over the worst... but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother and girlfriend, he begins a four-day bender that just might be his last – one way or another.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Lost Weekend?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Billy Wilder

Written by

Charles Brackett · Billy Wilder

Ray Milland

Ray Milland

Don Birnam

Jane Wyman

Jane Wyman

Helen St. James

Phillip Terry

Phillip Terry

Wick Birnam

Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva

Nat the Bartender

Doris Dowling

Doris Dowling

Gloria

Frank Faylen

Frank Faylen

'Bim' Nolan

Mary Young

Mary Young

Mrs. Deveridge

Court is in session

Put The Lost Weekend on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.