The Apartment

Baxter is a clerical worker at a huge New York insurance firm, quietly plotting his way up the ladder. He lends his apartment to the company’s higher ups so they can conduct affairs with their mistresses, hoping favors will follow. The arrangement lets him keep a kind of distance from the office politics while enjoying small perks of proximity to power. But the scheme begins to complicate his life as the personal fallout from the executives visits grows, pulling him into a web of relationships he never asked to become part of. A troubling choice forces him to reckon with loyalty, ambition, and what he’s willing to sacrifice. The movie blends brisk dialogue with a sly, fish-out-of-water charm as well.

Released in 1960 and directed by Billy Wilder, The Apartment rests on an original screenplay by Wilder and I. A. Diamond. The project highlighted Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in a tightly plotted mix of humor, romance, and social commentary.

It earned about 25 million dollars worldwide on a 3 million dollar budget, marking a strong commercial success for Wilder and helping raise the profile of Lemmon and MacLaine in a post war era of witty, adult cinema for audiences.

It won five Academy Awards including Best Picture Best Director Best Original Screenplay Best Actress for Shirley MacLaine and Best Art Direction. The wins underscored the film's wit and style and elevated Wilder's reputation among audiences and critics, with praise for its balance of humor and heart across decades worldwide.

The Apartment left a lasting mark on both comedy and drama by mixing sharp satire of office life with a sincere romance. It helped redefine the modern romantic comedy by letting flawed ambitious characters speak plainly about work, power, and desire, influencing later filmmakers and genres for decades to come.