
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Directed by Thom Andersen
Produced by Thom Andersen Productions
A visually dazzling, intellectually rigorous documentary that uses Los Angeles's cinematic history as a lens to excavate the real city beneath the myths.
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.
Clusters
Genres
Questions people ask
Is Los Angeles Plays Itself easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 77% of films.
Is Los Angeles Plays Itself scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of films.
Is Los Angeles Plays Itself violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.
Does Los Angeles Plays Itself end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Los Angeles Plays Itself sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
There is almost nothing else like this.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Los Angeles Plays Itself
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Los Angeles Plays Itself
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Los Angeles Plays Itself, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Los Angeles Plays Itself, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Los Angeles Plays Itself, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

















































