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D.O.A.

D.O.A.

Mystery · Thriller · Crime · 1949

Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.

Movie details

D.O.A.

“A Picture As Excitingly Different As Its Title!”

1949 Mystery · Thriller · Crime 1h 23m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.

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 D.O.A.?

The 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.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Rudolph Maté

Written by

Clarence Greene · Russell Rouse

Edmond O'Brien

Edmond O'Brien

Frank Bigelow

Pamela Britton

Pamela Britton

Paula Gibson

Luther Adler

Luther Adler

Majak

Beverly Garland

Beverly Garland

Miss Foster

Lynn Baggett

Lynn Baggett

Mrs. Philips

William Ching

William Ching

Halliday

Henry Hart

Henry Hart

Stanley Philips

Court is in session

Put D.O.A. on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

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.