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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Manhattan Tower remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a stage play stuck in an elevator, maybe. It’s for folks who dig that vintage 1930s snappy dialogue and don't mind a plot that moves at a frantic, almost confusing pace. If you need logic or subtle acting, you’re gonna hate it. Like, really hate it. 🏢
The whole movie centers on this big Manhattan skyscraper. It’s supposed to be a place of business, but honestly, it feels more like a pressure cooker. The boss is a total creep, which is the main engine driving all this chaos.
I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main leads. There’s this one scene in the lobby where a guy in the back is reading a newspaper and he just... never turns the page. For like, three minutes. It’s distracting!
The pacing is all over the place. One minute we’re dealing with a major financial crisis, and the next we’re watching a side character try to find their hat. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Paris, but with way less charm and way more shouting.
I’m not sure the writers knew how to end the story. They just sort of ran out of room. It’s like when you’re writing a grocery list and you run out of space at the bottom of the paper. You just stop writing and hope you remembered the milk.
It’s not as polished as something like Pollyanna, that’s for sure. It’s grittier, sure, but maybe in the wrong way. It feels like a movie made by people who were constantly looking at the clock.
Anyway. It’s a curiosity. A weird little time capsule of office life back then. Just don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Expect a headache and a few decent lines of dialogue. ☕