Los Angeles Plays Itself

Los Angeles Plays Itself

Directed by Thom Andersen

Produced by Thom Andersen Productions

2004169 min7.6 / 10

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.

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.

82/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

There is almost nothing else like this.

Rarity95

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise63

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love90

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

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.

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