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Dial M for Murder

Dial M for Murder

Thriller · Crime · Drama · 1954

When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.

Movie details

Dial M for Murder

“Is this the man she was waiting for... or the man who was waiting for her?”

1954 Thriller · Crime · Drama 1h 45m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

8.0 / 10

Community rating

When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.

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 Dial M for Murder?

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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Two strangers strike up a conversation on a long journey. However, neither is who they appear to be, each carry secrets that threaten to ruin them — and in the background, one of the nation's largest police operations is closing in.

Double Indemnity

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Cause for Alarm!

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The Mask of Dimitrios

The Mask of Dimitrios

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A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order to learn more about the man. Along the way he is joined by the mysterious Mr. Peters, who has his own motivation.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Alfred Hitchcock

Written by

Frederick Knott

Ray Milland

Ray Milland

Tony Wendice

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

Margot Wendice

Robert Cummings

Robert Cummings

Mark Halliday

John Williams

John Williams

Chief Inspector Hubbard

Anthony Dawson

Anthony Dawson

Charles Swann

L

Leo Britt

Storyteller

Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen

Detective Pearson

Court is in session

Put Dial M for Murder 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.