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The Black Dahlia

Play trailer Poster for The Black Dahlia R 2006 2h 1m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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32% Tomatometer 192 Reviews 27% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Two cops in the 1940s Los Angeles investigate the murder of a Hollywood starlet (Mia Kirshner), and one (Aaron Eckhart) puts his marriage in jeopardy by obsessing over the crime, while the other (Josh Hartnett) becomes involved with a woman (Hilary Swank) from a prominent family, who happens to have an unsavory tie to the victim.
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The Black Dahlia

The Black Dahlia

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Critics Consensus

Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Brian Tallerico UGO Mar 24, 2007
You have to wonder just how vibrant the film would have been during the Reagan or Clinton administration, when De Palma was in his prime. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Sep 30, 2006
1.5/5
Forty-five minutes in, I was already glancing at my watch and wondering why the only lively actress in this film was playing the dead girl. Go figure. Go to Full Review Ben Walters Time Out Sep 23, 2006
Ellroy's prose crawls into characters' secret hearts and under the reader's skin, but its foetid horrors become kitschy here, the script too streamlined and the lead performances too shallow to dredge the story's depths. Go to Full Review Joe Lipsett Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting May 19, 2026
2.5/5
A curious, but good looking mess. Hilary Swank and Fiona Shaw steal every scene, but the competing storylines don't often mesh well. The film should have just pulled the trigger on the central throuple Go to Full Review Noah Berlatsky Splice Today May 22, 2025
De Palma should be the perfect choice to helm a seedy neo-noir, but the script meanders, and the director ends up turning a story of greed, lust, and betrayal into an exercise in tedious moralism. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Nov 17, 2024
6/10
De Palma pours some of his aesthetic adjustments on it, but unfortunately its narrative often loses track of police intrigue and remains situated in common places in its uchronia about The Black Dahlia's nefarious murder case. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 20, 2026 The Black Dahlia = a 1.5 star Movie! See more Alan Z. @Alan_Z Jun 25, 2026 Could have been better, could have been worse. See more Javier O. @J.Osuna20 Apr 27, 2026 …listen to me when i say…don’t watch it PLEASE See more Ed B. @EdLee Apr 12, 2026 The Black Dahlias a murder mystery based on true events, but, story built around the famous 1940s murder , mostly fiction. It has great potential with the great sets and designs from the era. However it seems labored and frankly not that compelling. See more Lau F @LauSouthBay Mar 7, 2026 I should've believed the reviews. It was absolutely horrible. How could a director with Brian De Palma's stature be responsible for this mess. The two male leads should be wearing paper hats and serving fries. They certainly aren't actors. From the first scene, the picture had no credibility. I want my $3.99 rental fee back. See more Julian S. @akajulianscott Feb 22, 2026 It’s wild that the case the film is named for — the reason you press play — feels like a footnote. See more Read all reviews
The Black Dahlia

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Cast & Crew

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Brian De Palma

Director

Josh Hartnett

Officer Dwight Bleichert

Scarlett Johansson

Kay Lake

Aaron Eckhart

Sgt. Leland Blanchard

Hilary Swank

Madeleine Sprague

Mia Kirshner

Elizabeth Short

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The Black Dahlia

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two cops in the 1940s Los Angeles investigate the murder of a Hollywood starlet (Mia Kirshner), and one (Aaron Eckhart) puts his marriage in jeopardy by obsessing over the crime, while the other (Josh Hartnett) becomes involved with a woman (Hilary Swank) from a prominent family, who happens to have an unsavory tie to the victim.
Director
Brian De Palma
Producer
Art Linson, Moshe Diamant, Rudy Cohen
Screenwriter
Josh Friedman
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Signature Pictures
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Grisly Images|Strong Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 15, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.5M
Runtime
2h 1m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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