Midnight in Paris

"Anything can happen in the city of light."

2011 1h 34m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🔥

93%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 7,921🍅93%Rotten Tomatoes●81Metacritic★7.6IMDB · 469,474

FantasyComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.

“Anything can happen in the city of light.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Owen Wilson
Gil
Rachel McAdams
Inez
Kathy Bates
Gertrude Stein
Kurt Fuller
John
Adrien Brody
Salvador Dalí
Carla Bruni
Museum Guide
Marion Cotillard
Adriana
Michael Sheen
Paul

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Woody Allen
Writers: Woody Allen
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish
Countries: France, Spain, 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

Made its money back 8.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, German, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Spain, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Woody Allen, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alisa Lepselter 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

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Anything can happen in the city of light.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Woody Allen directs. Darius Khondji behind the camera. Alisa Lepselter cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in France, Spain, United States of America. Dialogue in English, French, German, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 8.9× over at the box office.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, German, Spanish.
4International production across 3 countries: France, Spain, United States of America.
5Directed by Woody Allen, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Alisa Lepselter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Anything can happen in the city of light.".
9IMDB entry: tt1605783 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 20 themes, including "paris, france", "based on novel or book", "detective", "screenwriter".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Darius Khondji
Editing: Alisa Lepselter
Production design: Anne Seibel
Costume design: Sonia Grande
Makeup / hair: Catherine Jabes
Sound: Lee Dichter
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $17,000,000
Box office: $151,119,219
Return: 889% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Midnight in Paris (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 81/100
IMDB rating: 7.6/10 · 469,474 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 26 wins & 103 nominations total

Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

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

Also by

Woody Allen

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2014-06-16
★ 8/10
Really nice movie, done with a great delicacy. Worth watching to get in love with Paris but it is also a great story of self knowledge and evolution.
Filipe Manuel Neto2022-08-02
★ 8/10
Magnificent, it is a love declaration for Paris. With this film, Woody Allen makes, in the background, a love declaration for Paris, a city he already knows very well and for which he seems to feel a great affection. In addition to the beauty of the city, especially in the opening sequence, the script revisits the history and importance of the French city, as a meeting point for artists and writers. The film begins very well, introducing us to an American engaged couple who came to Paris on their father's business trip. From the start they seem a bit strange: she is quite frivolous and seems to feel that she is doing him a huge favor by marrying him, and it is perfectly obvious that her parents do not approve of the match; in turn, the young man is an aspiring writer who has grown tired of making Hollywood screenplays and wants to dedicate himself to writing and stay in Paris, ideas seen with disdain by the bride. However, everything will change when, after a disagreement, he walks back to the hotel and ends up having a meeting with a series of famous artists and writers from Paris in the 1920s: Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso, Dali, Buñuel, Gertrude Stein and others. That is, the film starts from a basic romantic comedy situation and creates a story where time travel ends up happening in a way that seems like the character is just dreaming, or in an illusion. Owen Wilson was impeccable in the lead role and gives us one of his best serious performances, which is no small feat. He is credible and convincing. Equally pleasant and sympathetic is Marion Cotillard, who gave life to the “soul mate” of Wilson's character, a dreamer and idealist who would rather live on a page of the past. In addition to being smart and sensitive, she is beautiful and attractive. Kathy Bates, Tom Hiddleston, Alisson Pill, Corey Stoll and Marcial Di Fonzo have given life to a series of artists and writers, each of whom played their part with aplomb and care. Rachel McAdams is good at her tiresome and irritating character. Technically, the film is flawless. The cinematography is exquisite, has ideal light and color, sharpness and depth. The city scenes are magnificent, and it's very easy to see the movie and want it all to be real. The sets are very good, and the same can be said for the choice of filming locations, made with care and method. Comedy is very present in the film and has elements with a certain quality, being in the dialogues and puns that it thrives. The entire film has a very good rhythm, which does not tire the audience or allow us to lose sight of it. Finally, a word of appreciation for the jazz soundtrack.
misubisu2025-11-12
★ 8/10
Midnight in Paris (2011) Review: A Magical, Melancholy Love Letter - 8/10 Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen in his most enchantingly wistful form. It’s a film that operates on a premise of pure, unadulterated fantasy, yet it resonates with a profound and universal truth about nostalgia and the eternal human temptation to view another era as a "golden age." Perfectly directed, it balances whimsy with a sharp, intellectual core, resulting in one of Allen's most beloved and accessible late-career triumphs. The Premise: A Portal to the Past Owen Wilson plays Gil, a disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter and aspiring novelist on a trip to Paris with his dismissive fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and her conservative parents. Feeling out of place in his own life, he romanticises the 1920s as the pinnacle of art and culture. Then, the magic happens: at the stroke of midnight, a vintage Peugeot picks him up and transports him to the very era he idolises, where he rubs shoulders with the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Picasso, and Gertrude Stein. A Perfectly Cast Gil I often find Owen Wilson's performances a little hollow, but this one was rock solid. This role is a career-best for him because it harnesses his inherent qualities — the laid-back California cadence, the boyish wonder, the slightly scattered charm and makes them central to the character. He is not trying to be a classic Woody Allen surrogate; he is Gil, a genuine romantic lost in time. His wide-eyed, earnest disbelief is the audience's anchor into the fantasy. We believe his awe when meeting Cole Porter and his desperation to have his novel validated by Gertrude Stein. It's a performance filled with heart and vulnerability, making Gil a truly empathetic guide. Strengths and the Missing Points The film's greatest strength is its intoxicating atmosphere. Paris is filmed as a dreamscape, glowing in the day and shimmering with mystery at night. The parade of historical figures is not just a gimmick; it's a witty, lovingly rendered celebration of artistic genius, with Corey Stoll's hilariously blunt Ernest Hemingway and Adrien Brody's scene-stealing Salvador Dalí as particular highlights. So why an 8/10 and not a perfect score? For all its magic, the present day storyline, while intentionally grating to highlight Gil's alienation, can feel a bit one-note and cartoonish compared to the rich tapestry of the past. The ultimate lesson Gil learns — that every era has its own nostalgia — is beautifully simple, but the journey to get there, while delightful, lacks the deeper emotional complexity of Allen's very finest work. The Verdict 8/10 - A Charming and Intelligent Escape Midnight in Paris is a cinematic sigh of contentment. It’s a film that understands the dreamer in all of us, offering a witty, beautifully crafted, and wonderfully performed escape. Owen Wilson is the film's secret weapon, his "rock solid" and heartfelt performance making the fantasy feel tangible and the emotional payoff genuinely satisfying. It’s a delightful, intelligent confection that leaves you with a warm glow and a sudden urge to book a trip to Paris.