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Nightfall

Nightfall

Crime · Thriller · 1956

An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.

Movie details

Nightfall

“THE BLACK BAG... with $350,000 in loot! THE BLACK DRESS... with a beautiful pick-up girl inside! THE BLACK NIGHT... made for lovers... and killers!”

1956 Crime · Thriller 1h 19m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.1 / 10

4.8K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

100 %

Tomatometer

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.

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 Nightfall?

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.

The Big Steal

The Big Steal

Crime · 1949

Army Lieutenant Halliday, accused of stealing the Army payroll, pursues the real thief on a frantic chase through Mexico aided by the thief's ex-girlfriend and is in turn being chased by his accuser, Capt. Blake.

Desperate

Desperate

Thriller · 1947

An innocent trucker takes it on the lam when he's accused of robbery.

Pickup on South Street

Pickup on South Street

Thriller · 1953

In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.

Conflict

Conflict

Thriller · 1945

Unhappily married Richard Mason concocts a meticulous scheme to kill his shrewish wife so that he'll be free to marry her sister.

Phantom Lady

Phantom Lady

Mystery · 1944

A devoted secretary embarks on a dangerous mission to try to find the elusive woman who may prove her boss didn't murder his wife.

Ministry of Fear

Ministry of Fear

Crime · 1944

Stephen Neale is released into WWII England after two years in an asylum, but it doesn't seem so sane outside either. On his way back to London to rejoin civilization, he stumbles across a murderous spy ring and doesn't quite know to whom to turn.

D.O.A.

D.O.A.

Mystery · 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.

The Naked City

The Naked City

Crime · 1948

After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.

Woman on the Run

Woman on the Run

Thriller · 1950

Frank Johnson, a sole witness to a gangland murder, goes into hiding and is trailed by Police Inspector Ferris, on the theory that Frank is trying to escape from possible retaliation. Frank's wife, Eleanor, suspects he is actually running away from their unsuccessful marriage. Aided by a newspaperman, Danny Leggett, Eleanor sets out to locate her husband. The killer is also looking for him, and keeps close tabs on Eleanor.

The Glass Key

The Glass Key

Crime · 1942

A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jacques Tourneur

Written by

Stirling Silliphant

Aldo Ray

Aldo Ray

James Vanning / Art Rayburn

Anne Bancroft

Anne Bancroft

Marie Gardner

Brian Keith

Brian Keith

John

James Gregory

James Gregory

Ben Fraser

Jocelyn Brando

Jocelyn Brando

Laura Fraser

Frank Albertson

Frank Albertson

Dr. Edward Gurston

Rudy Bond

Rudy Bond

Red

Court is in session

Put Nightfall 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.