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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Search for Beauty remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a thing for weird 1930s artifacts. If you want a tight, logical plot, keep walking. You’ll probably hate it if you need your movies to make sense or if you dislike characters making baffling decisions for the sake of a joke.
Watching Search for Beauty feels a bit like finding a dusty magazine in an attic that you weren't supposed to open. It’s got that weird, glossy veneer of the era, but there's a grimy heart beating underneath.
We’ve got these two Olympic stars, played by folks who definitely look like they stepped off a track, being led around by the nose by a group of total sleazeballs. The magazine idea is just a ruse to sell trashy content, which is honestly a plot that still feels pretty modern.
There’s a scene where the con artists are just… sweating over the layout of the magazine. It’s oddly specific and lingers way longer than it needs to. Why are we watching this much detail about 1934 printing presses? I don't know, but it’s hypnotic.
The whole thing feels a bit like a sketch that got stretched into a feature film. There are moments—especially in the back half—where the movie forgets its own premise entirely. It just decides to become a showcase for whatever random talent or set piece they had on hand that week.
It’s not perfect. Sometimes it’s just plain messy. But you can feel the desperation in the production, like everyone involved knew they were making something slightly illicit but didn't care as long as it hit the mark.
Maybe skip it unless you're in the mood for something that feels like a weird, forgotten secret. It’s definitely not for everyone, but there’s a certain charm to the chaos. 🎥
