One of many Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot) classic black and white film noirs, Double Indemnity sits at 29th in the American Film Institute’s top 100 films of all time.
Insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray – The Caine Mutiny, The Apartment) finds himself drawn into the deceitful world of Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck – Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire) and her unhappy marriage. A double indemnity of a double insurance payout if the husband should die in a train accident appeals to the scheming duo. Only claims adjustor Edward G. Robinson (Key Largo, The Stranger) smells a rat.
A gloriously incisive script (Wilder and Raymond Chandler) of cutting wit, Double Indemnity is a perfectly paced thriller highlighting that no matter how well planned, crime doesn’t pay.
Nominated for 7 Oscars in 1945 including best film, director, actress, adapted screenplay.
Rating: 82%
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