The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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Ride the Pink Horse
Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 1947
A con man tries to blackmail a Mexican gangster.
Movie details
Ride the Pink Horse
“THE EXCITEMENT OF DESPERATE ADVENTURE! THE SUSPENSE OF RELENTLESS MAN-HUNT!”
1947 Drama · Mystery · Thriller 1h 41m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.2 / 10
Community rating
A con man tries to blackmail a Mexican gangster.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Ride the Pink Horse?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Bad Day at Black Rock
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One-armed war veteran John J. Macreedy steps off a train at the sleepy little town of Black Rock. Once there, he begins to unravel a web of lies, secrecy, and murder.
Sleep, My Love
Thriller · 1948
A woman wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she can't remember how she got there. Danger and suspense ensue.
Man in the Shadow
Thriller · 1957
In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.
Footsteps in the Fog
Thriller · 1955
A Victorian-era murder mystery about a parlour maid who discovers that her employer may have killed his first wife.
Each Dawn I Die
Crime · 1939
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Point Blank
Crime · 1967
After being double-crossed and left for dead, a mysterious man named Walker single-mindedly tries to retrieve the rather inconsequential sum of money that was stolen from him.
They Made Me a Fugitive
Drama · 1947
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
Detour
Drama · 1945
The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.
Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors
Mystery · 1991
At the insistence of Ruth Van Rydock, an old schoolfriend who is convinced that there is something wrong, Miss Marple agrees to visit 'Stonygates', the country house of Ruth's sister.
While the City Sleeps
Thriller · 1956
Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Robert Montgomery
Written by
Ben Hecht · Charles Lederer
Robert Montgomery
Lucky Gagin
Wanda Hendrix
Pila
Andrea King
Marjorie Lundeen
Thomas Gomez
Pancho
Fred Clark
Frank Hugo
Art Smith
Bill Retz
Richard Gaines
Jonathan
Court is in session
Put Ride the Pink Horse on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.