Fred MacMurray,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Edward G. Robinson,
Porter Hall,
Jean Heather
... see more
Directed by Billy Wilder and adapted from a James M. Cain novel by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, Double Indemnity represents the high-water mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a greedy,... read more
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Release Date: September 6, 1944
DVD Release Date: October 10, 2000
Stats: 2,217 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (2,217)
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April 24, 2012
Before anything, let's just look at the talent behind this film: Based on a novel by James M. Cain, directed by Billy Wilder, script by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and starring Fred MacMurray, Barabra Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson. Damn.
Thankfully, this talent doesn't go to... read more -
January 21, 2012fb619846742A well-executed noir smash concerning a gullible insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) who gets suckered into a scheme to murder the much older husband (Tom Powers) of a sultry woman (Barbara Stanwyck) in order to get his money through his newly signed policy. With crackling dialo... read more
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November 14, 2011fb1664868775A benchmark in the film noir genre, Double Idemnity is a gritty, cinematic masterpiece.
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November 6, 2011
Even when they reveal the ending right after the initial credits stop rolling, Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler manage to keep the suspense high. Double Indemnity might seem slow and talky, because it is, but I really can't complain. The cast, particularly Barbara Stanwyck and E... read more
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August 4, 2011
Fast talking insurance salesman Fred MacMurray falls for beautiful but ice cold oil tycoon's wife Barbara Stanwyck and together they hatch a scheme to kill off her husband for the insurance money. Using the classic technique of beginning at the end, the entire story is narrated b... read more
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August 2, 2011
Pretty damn engaging, if i have to nitpick i don't understand why Neff encourges Nino to call Lola, considering the guy is an asshole. Character motivations could have been developed more, but the smooth flow of the story will trap you so well you won't be wondering about all tha... read more
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July 26, 2011
The Kind of Blue of film noir. Double Indemnity is utterly flawless and quite possibly the best movie of each of its main stars careers. Billy Wilder's direction and the script he co-wrote with Raymond Chandler are pure gold, cementing Double Indemnity's status as a truly essenti... read more
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May 30, 2011
I'm not sure why I forgot that Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler wrote the screenplay for "Double Indemnity" together, but I should have know. This film is a dazzler, teeming with both Wilder and Chandler's numerous sensibilities. It's been years since I have seen it and it's jus... read more
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January 3, 2011
Marvelously engaging and well-played noir crime drama. A shame that this didn't win a best picture Oscar, but I think it has a legacy that runs deeper than any award.
Critic Reviews
MacMurray has seldom given a better performance. It is somewhat different from his usually light roles, but is always plausible and played with considerable restraint. Full Review
The film is a brilliant collision of evil and the mundane, and one of the reasons viewers respond to it so well is that it makes the mundane seem a little sexier in the resulting debris.
Such folks as delight in murder stories for their academic elegance alone should find this one steadily diverting, despite its monotonous pace and length. Full Review
Few other directors have made so many films that were so taut, savvy, cynical and, in many different ways and tones, funny. Full Review
Dark, dialogue-heavy classic of grim suspense. Full Review
The perfect material for Wilder to remake himself as Hollywood's dark jester for decades. Full Review
Edward G. Robinson stars as MacMurray's associate, but it's Barbara Stanwyck that rules the roost as one of cinema's most diabolical femme fatals. Full Review
Writer/director Billy Wilder cements all the hallmarks of a style that comes into its own with this wicked and suspenseful portrait of capitalist greed and post-war anxiety. Full Review
Notable for its perfect cast, great performances, deft direction and of course that sparkling dialogue. Full Review
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