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Man in the Shadow

Man in the Shadow

Thriller · Drama · Western · 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.

Movie details

Man in the Shadow

“THIS WAS THE NIGHT WHEN THE LAW TURNED LAWLESS...to win back the justice a town had betrayed!”

1957 Thriller · Drama · Western 1h 20m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

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.

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 Man in the Shadow?

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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Sergeant Rutledge

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Respected black cavalry Sergeant Brax Rutledge stands court-martial for raping and killing a white woman and murdering her father, his superior officer.

Hud

Hud

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Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for kicks with no regard for the consequences. There is bitter conflict between the callous Hud and his stern and highly principled father, Homer. Hud's nephew Lon admires Hud's cheating ways, though he soon becomes too aware of Hud's reckless amorality to bear him anymore. In the world of the takers and the taken, Hud is a winner. He's a cheat, but, he explains, "I always say the law was meant to be interpreted in a lenient manner."

Dead Man

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On the run after committing murder, an accountant encounters a strange Native American man who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.

Run for Cover

Run for Cover

Western · 1955

An ex-convict drifter and his flawed young partner are made sheriff and deputy of a Western town.

Lone Star

Lone Star

Drama · 1996

When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.

Frontera

Frontera

Western · 2014

After crossing the border illegally for work, Miguel, a hard-working father and devoted husband, finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a former sheriff’s wife. After learning of his imprisonment, Miguel’s pregnant wife tries to come to his aid and lands in the hands of corrupt coyotes who hold her for ransom. Dissatisfied with the police department’s investigation, the former sheriff tries to uncover the truth about his wife’s death and discovers disturbing evidence that will destroy one family’s future, or tear another’s apart.

Rancho Notorious

Rancho Notorious

Drama · 1952

A man in search of revenge infiltrates a ranch, hidden in an inhospitable region, where its owner, Altar Keane, gives shelter to outlaws fleeing from the law in exchange for a price.

Silverado

Silverado

Western · 1985

Four unwitting heroes cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff and a murderous posse. It's up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jack Arnold

Written by

Gene L. Coon

Jeff Chandler

Jeff Chandler

Ben Sadler

Orson Welles

Orson Welles

Virgil Renchler

Colleen Miller

Colleen Miller

Skippy Renchler

Ben Alexander

Ben Alexander

Ab Begley

Barbara Lawrence

Barbara Lawrence

Helen Sadler

John Larch

John Larch

Ed Yates

James Gleason

James Gleason

Hank James

Court is in session

Put Man in the Shadow on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“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.