1947 / 97m - USA
Crime, Thriller
1.5*/5.0*
Out of the Past poster

Watches

December 10, 2020

1.5*/5.0*

Another very typical film noir. I've seen quite a few these past couple of months, and they pretty much all pan out the same way. Out of the Past has a few things going for it, but ultimately the film falls prey to the usual pitfalls of the genre and ends with a whimper. I'm not a big noir fan I'm afraid.

Bailey, a former private detective, switches jobs and opens a garage. He can't escape his criminal past though and not long after his former boss (Sterling) summons him. He was robbed by his girlfriend, who immediately bailed. Bailey has to trace the money and get Sterling's girlfriend back.

As always, the first part is promising, but then the endless conversations start and things slow down to a crawl. Performances are mediocre, the plot is far from interesting and some meager twists and turns can't turn things around. The stark black and white cinematography is a plus, but it's not enough to make a big difference.