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Phantom Lady

Phantom Lady

Mystery · Thriller · Crime · 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.

Movie details

Phantom Lady

“A Night He Couldn't Forget With a Woman He Couldn't Remember.”

1944 Mystery · Thriller · Crime 1h 27m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

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.

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 Phantom Lady?

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.

This Gun for Hire

This Gun for Hire

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Sadistic killer-for-hire Philip Raven becomes enraged when his latest job is paid off in marked bills. Vowing to track down his double-crossing boss, nightclub executive Gates, Raven sits beside Gates' lovely new employee, Ellen, on a train out of town. Although Ellen is engaged to marry the police lieutenant who's hunting down Raven, she decides to try and set the misguided hit man straight as he hides from the cops and plots his revenge.

The Naked City

The Naked City

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

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.

The Seven-Ups

The Seven-Ups

Thriller · 1973

A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.

A Shot in the Dark

A Shot in the Dark

Comedy · 1964

Inspector Jacques Clouseau, smitten with the accused maid Maria Gambrelli, unwittingly turns a straightforward murder investigation into a comedic series of mishaps, testing the patience of his irritable boss Charles Dreyfus as casualties mount.

Nightfall

Nightfall

Crime · 1956

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

The Critic

The Critic

Thriller · 2024

Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.

The Drowning Pool

The Drowning Pool

Thriller · 1975

Harper is brought to Louisiana to investigate an attempted blackmail scheme. He soon finds out that it involves an old flame of his and her daughter. He eventually finds himself caught in a power struggle between the matriarch of the family and a greedy oil baron, who wants their property. Poor Harper! Things are not as straight-forward as they initially appeared.

The Mirror Crack'd

The Mirror Crack'd

Mystery · 1980

Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

Killer's Kiss

Killer's Kiss

Thriller · 1955

Davey Gordon, a New York City boxer at the end of his career, falls for dancer Gloria Price. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo, who has eyes for Gloria. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Siodmak

Written by

Bernard C. Schoenfeld

Franchot Tone

Franchot Tone

John 'Jack' Marlow

Ella Raines

Ella Raines

Carol 'Kansas' Richman

Alan Curtis

Alan Curtis

Scott Henderson

Aurora Miranda

Aurora Miranda

Estela Monteiro

Thomas Gomez

Thomas Gomez

Inspector Burgess

Fay Helm

Fay Helm

Ann Terry

Elisha Cook Jr.

Elisha Cook Jr.

Cliff Milburn

Court is in session

Put Phantom Lady 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.