In a Lonely Place

If you liked this

The Postman Always Rings Twice1946

A femme fatale and a drifter spiral into noir darkness fueled by passion and paranoia. Lana Turner and John Garfield burn through this like their characters are combusting from the inside. Pure, poisonous desire.

But The pacing drags in stretches, and the ending capitulates to 1940s morality codes in ways that feel imposed rather than earned.

Out of the Past1947

Robert Mitchum as a man trying to escape his past, undone by a woman he can't resist. Baroque dialogue, impossible shadows, a plot that doubles back on itself. The gold standard of American noir.

But It's very much of its era—the gender dynamics will feel dated, and the plot occasionally strains credibility.

The Killers1946

Two assassins arrive to kill a man; the mystery of why unravels through flashback. Burt Lancaster's debut is electric, and Siodmak's direction turns small-town America into a trap. Relentless and lean.

But At 103 minutes it feels longer, and the femme fatale (Ava Gardner) has limited screen time despite her narrative weight.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from In a Lonely Place

Cast

• 
  Humphrey BogartDixon Steele
• 
  Gloria GrahameLaurel Gray
• 
  Frank LovejoyBrub Nicolai
• 
  Carl Benton ReidCapt. Lochner
• 
  Art SmithMel Lippman
• 
  Jeff DonnellSylvia Nicolai
• 
  Martha StewartMildred Atkinson
• 
  Robert WarwickCharlie Waterman
• 
  Morris AnkrumLloyd Barnes
• 
  William ChingTed Barton
• 
  Steven GerayPaul
• H
  Hadda BrooksSinger

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