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50/50

50/50

Comedy · Drama · 2011

Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.

Movie details

50/50

“It takes a pair to beat the odds.”

2011 Comedy · Drama 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.

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 50/50?

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.

The Road Within

The Road Within

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An unlikely friendship between two neighbors becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets

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In the emotionally charged, wild and humorous world of sixteen year old James Whitman, his struggle to overcome anxiety and depression involve seeking advice from Dr. Bird - a giant imaginary pigeon therapist.

Box of Moonlight

Box of Moonlight

Comedy · 1996

Al Fountain, a middle-aged electrical engineer, is on the verge of a mid-life crisis, when he decides to take his time coming home from a business trip, rents a car, and heads out looking for a lake he remembers from his childhood. But his wandering takes him into the life of Kid, a free-spirited young man who helps Al escape from the routine of everyday life and find freedom to enjoy himself.

Ghostlight

Ghostlight

Comedy · 2024

When melancholic construction worker Dan finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater's production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.

Happiness

Happiness

Comedy · 1998

The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Comedy · 2024

On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.

The Etruscan Smile

The Etruscan Smile

Drama · 2018

Rory MacNeil, a rugged old Scotsman, reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newly found bond with his baby grandson.

Standing Up, Falling Down

Standing Up, Falling Down

Comedy · 2020

An unlikely friendship kindles between a struggling stand-up comedian from L.A. — forced to move back home to Eastern Long Island with his tail between his legs — and a tragically flawed, but charming and charismatic, alcoholic dermatologist. Discovering to be kindred spirits, each helps the other find healing, in addition to the confidence to face the "failures" in their lives.

Somewhere in Queens

Somewhere in Queens

Comedy · 2023

Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son finds success on his high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it happen.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jonathan Levine

Written by

Will Reiser

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Adam Lerner

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen

Kyle Hirons

Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick

Katherine McKay

Bryce Dallas Howard

Bryce Dallas Howard

Rachael

Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston

Diane Lerner

Serge Houde

Serge Houde

Richard Lerner

Philip Baker Hall

Philip Baker Hall

Alan

Court is in session

Put 50/50 on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.