Metropolitan

"Finally... A film about the downwardly mobile."

1990 1h 39m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🔥

94%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 195🍅94%Rotten Tomatoes●75Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 13,876

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A radical student is adopted by a group of young New Yorkers, serves as a catalyst to alter his and their lives. Gathering in a Manhattan apartment, the group of friends meet to discuss social mobility, Fourier's socialism and play bridge in their cocoon of upper-class society - until they are joined by a man with a critical view of their way of life.

“Finally... A film about the downwardly mobile.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Edward Clements
Tom Townsend
Chris Eigeman
Nick Smith
Taylor Nichols
Charlie Black
Carolyn Farina
Audrey Rouget
Isabel Gillies
Cynthia McLean
Dylan Hundley
Sally Fowler
Allison Parisi
Jane Clarke
Bryan Leder
Fred Neff

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Whit Stillman
Writers: Whit Stillman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $3M — a 12.9× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Whit Stillman, shot by John Thomas. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mark Suozzo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Edward Clements and Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Finally... A film about the downwardly mobile.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Whit Stillman directs. John Thomas behind the camera. Mark Suozzo scores. Christopher Tellefsen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $3M — a 12.9× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
336 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Whit Stillman, shot by John Thomas. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mark Suozzo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Edward Clements and Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Finally... A film about the downwardly mobile.".
9IMDB entry: tt0100142 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: John Thomas
Original score: Mark Suozzo
Editing: Christopher Tellefsen
Costume design: Mary Jane Fort
Makeup / hair: Susan Dexter
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $225,000
Box office: $2,900,000
Return: 1289% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Metropolitan (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 75/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 13,876 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 11 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Whit Stillman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

griggs792024-12-02
★ 6/10
Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan offers a witty and arch glimpse into the lives of Upper East Side debutantes and their slightly aimless escorts during Christmas break. It's like The Breakfast Club, but with black-tie soirées instead of detention and ironic detachment and spirited Jane Austen debates instead of teen angst. The film's charm is sure to intrigue you. The film’s champagne fizz and sharp repartee conceal a darker undercurrent. Characters like the sardonic Nick, a disillusioned heir to a fortune, and brooding Charlie, a struggling artist from a wealthy family, exude a cool cynicism that hints at Patrick Bateman-esque disaffection, making one wonder if Brett Easton Ellis found inspiration here for American Psycho’s chilling socialites. While some scenes flirt with overindulgence, Metropolitan still cuts through with moments of incisive charm. Its privileged protagonists may test patience, but their quirks make them hard to look away from.

Production companies