Synecdoche, New York

Synecdoche, New York (/sɪˈnɛkdəki/ sin-EK-də-kee) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Caden Cotard, a theater director whose attempt to create a massive, ever-evolving stage production begins to consume his life and blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. The title is a play on both the concept of synecdoche—where a part represents the whole—and Schenectady, New York, where much of the story is set.

The film premiered in competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2008, and was later acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. It was released in limited theaters on October 24, 2008, and emerged as a commercial failure, though international sales helped offset its production costs.

Synecdoche, New York received polarized reviews upon release. Some critics praised it as a bold and emotionally resonant meditation on mortality and artistic obsession, while others found it pretentious and inaccessible. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes and has since been reassessed by many critics, appearing in several polls of the greatest films of the 21st century. Roger Ebert named it the best film of the decade.