Double Indemnity (1944)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  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… More
  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 waste at all, and the end result is one of the greatest entries into the film noir genre. The plot concerns an insurance salesman named Walter Neff who, smitten with a client's wife, schemes with her to kill the husband in an accident like fashion in order to cash in on the double indemnity clause of their policy- a cluase that will pay out double than normal in the event of a death caused by accident. Things get tricky though, when a suspicious claims adjuster who works with Neff is assigned to the case. This is a smart, suspenseful, and tightly written thriller, and despite how old it is, really holds up extremely well. The film has also been very influential not only on the film noir genre, but also several films by a couple of guys you may have heard of named Joel and Ethan Coen (among others). Wilder's direction is superb, and the acting is brilliant. MacMurray and Stnawyck had never done anything quite this sleazy and gritty before, and this also marked the start of a long tenure as a supporting character actor for Robinson..something he was great at. From the music, to the technical details like cinematography, editing, etc, the tightness of the plot is made even more spectacular, and this is hands down one of the best ever. Leave it at that and go see it.

• Dan S

  
  A 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 dialogue… More
  A 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 dialogue and riveting performances, Billy Wilder keeps this thing trucking along. Although the love story between MacMurray and Stanwyck could have probably used a little more time and feels a bit forced into place to get the story going, this thing excels in keeping the twists coming and the characters interesting. A darker Wilder picture than one is usually used to, but a worthy one nonetheless.

• Graham J

  
  A benchmark in the film noir genre, Double Idemnity is a gritty, cinematic masterpiece.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  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… More
  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 Edward G. Robinson, delivers. Besides, this film features some of the best dialog I've ever heard! I'm so in love with the script.

• xGary X

  
  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… More
  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 by a blood stained MacMurray as he gives his insight into the downward spiral his life took the moment he got involved with the irresistible femme fatale. Stanwyck is perfect in this role; glamorous, but with a steely gaze that belies the emptiness of her heart. As is MacMurray playing the sap who thinks he is in control, but Edward G. Robinson still manages to steal every scene he is in as the wily investigator. Anyone looking for a feelgood movie with a happy ending should give this one a miss, but if it's an expertly written, brilliantly played and influential cornerstone of an entire genre you want, this is straight down the line...

• Stefanie C

  
  A winning combination: Chandler's dialogue and Wilder's direction.

• Tsubaki S

  
  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… More
  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 that stuff.

• Michael G

  
  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… More
  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 essential movie. While you've probably seen half of what's in this landmark film dozens of times since, you haven't seen it done this well. If you haven't seen this you're truly missing out.

• Steven C

  
  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… More
  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 just as gripping and involving as ever. "Double Indemnity" was the film that started (or solidified) the film noir genre and the film seeps with tension, cynicism and danger. The acting, from MacMurray, Stanwyck and Robinson is spot on and Wilder's direction is extremely precise.

• Tim S

  
  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.

• AJ V

  
  It's really amazing how Billy Wilder wrote and directed so many different movies. They're all really cool, and this one is no exception. It's a really cool film noir, and a must see for any film fan.

• Spencer S

  
  Basically the definition of film noir. Though Fred's constant spewing of the word Baby, and Barbara's off putting blonde locks, this is definitely a must see. Radical and dramatic, it makes you feel everything in the world, and then brings you back with the extremity of… More
  Basically the definition of film noir. Though Fred's constant spewing of the word Baby, and Barbara's off putting blonde locks, this is definitely a must see. Radical and dramatic, it makes you feel everything in the world, and then brings you back with the extremity of everything happening.

• Conner R

  
  It's easily one of the epitomized film noirs out there. I've always found this to be one of the most re-watchable films of its kind. It's such a complex and rich story that there's always something new to pick up on. The acting is perfect for the style, I… More
  It's easily one of the epitomized film noirs out there. I've always found this to be one of the most re-watchable films of its kind. It's such a complex and rich story that there's always something new to pick up on. The acting is perfect for the style, I absolutely loved Edward G. Robinson's character. The way it is shot is nearly flawless, capturing a shadowed world that can only harbor scandals, double crossing dames and murder. The dialogue is goofy and the narration is sappy, but that's really something typical of the genre.

• Reid V

  
  Incredible film noir. Such dark subject matter for a world knee deep in a world war, but an unstoppable film. Performaces from Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson help keep this film alive and vibrant. Also, within in the confines of the Hayes Code, Wilder does not cheat the… More
  Incredible film noir. Such dark subject matter for a world knee deep in a world war, but an unstoppable film. Performaces from Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson help keep this film alive and vibrant. Also, within in the confines of the Hayes Code, Wilder does not cheat the audience when immersing them into the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles.

• Luke B

  
  This wonderful 40's thriller sees Wilder at his best. The plot may be complex on the surface, but it can be stripped away to reveal a dark simplicity. MacMurray captures the right amount of morbid naivety, to reflect a manipulated man, but one that was always capable of killing.… More
  This wonderful 40's thriller sees Wilder at his best. The plot may be complex on the surface, but it can be stripped away to reveal a dark simplicity. MacMurray captures the right amount of morbid naivety, to reflect a manipulated man, but one that was always capable of killing. It's both his curiosity and his boredom that reels him in. It's a great film to watch unravel, with Robinson doing an excellent job at slowly pulling at the thread. There's also a welcome touch of morality to the atmosphere. You may like these people, but you don't want them to get away with it. This makes for such great viewing that it can be watched again and again.

• Randy T

  
  Not all monsters are grotesque and ugly, sometimes they are as beautiful and breathtaking as Barbara Stanwyck. Considered by many to be the best and most influential film noir ever made, <i>Double Indemnity</i> has become the standard by which all others are judged. For my… More
  Not all monsters are grotesque and ugly, sometimes they are as beautiful and breathtaking as Barbara Stanwyck. Considered by many to be the best and most influential film noir ever made, <i>Double Indemnity</i> has become the standard by which all others are judged. For my money, from the cast and direction to the cinematography and scripting, it's a near perfect film. Definitely one of my all-time top 20 movies.

• Jon L

  
  People talked so cool in these movies! How smooth. This is a good one to watch, maybe on a rainy evening!! The acting is fun and its film noir at it's best.

• Daniel P

  
  When dictionaries are replaced by upload your own video websites, look up anti-hero and this film will play. A true classic, simplistic by today's standards but a good old-fashioned nail-biter of a film from Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity was years ahead of its time. Great… More
  When dictionaries are replaced by upload your own video websites, look up anti-hero and this film will play. A true classic, simplistic by today's standards but a good old-fashioned nail-biter of a film from Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity was years ahead of its time. Great acting, well lit and well shot as Wilder's films always are, and with a screenplay Wiilder and no less a noir star than author Raymond Chandler adapted from a popular novel of the time, you can't miss this film. The narration is so gripping it could be a five-star radio play, but on top of that you get to watch it... and you should.

• First L

  
  Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff, the tough-as-nails... insurance salesman? He's the type of fella that's been around the block. He calls broads "dames" and says things like "they know more tricks than a carload of monkeys" and "they'll hang you… More
  Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff, the tough-as-nails... insurance salesman? He's the type of fella that's been around the block. He calls broads "dames" and says things like "they know more tricks than a carload of monkeys" and "they'll hang you just as sure as ten dimes'll buy you a dollar". The person they're going to hang is Mrs. Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), a dame who's unhappy in her marriage and is looking to collect a little dough on the way out. She picks out Neff as a pidgeon, see, and figures the sap for a real chump who'll play ball so long as she makes with the old "sweetness" routine. But as I said before, Neff is nobody's all-day sucker. But her IS interested in beating the system he works in from the inside out. Perhaps it's more about the challenge than the money for him, as he schemes to commit the perfect murder. "Double Indemnity" is film noir, directed in a style of shadows and sharp blacks and whites, and sometimes comes off as Hitchcockian. Even though it was made at the height of WWII, it's not an escapist fantasy. Neither of the main characters is sympathetic, in fact, Stanwyck's character is downright nasty. The film builds in tension as we follow the two schemers into the ever-tightening noose of justice. Edward G. Robinson plays the bloodhound-like insurance investigator never gives up the case, explaining that there's no such thing as the "perfect murder" when there's more than one murderer involved. Someone always makes a mistake.

• Greg S

  
  A lecherous insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) allows himself to be seduced by a woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants her rich husband out of the way. All the classic film noir elements--light and shadow, a femme fatale, a complex but doomed scheme--appear here in their purest form.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings