Laura

Laura (1944)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (56 reviews)

  • 90% of users liked it
    (8,520 ratings)

This adaptation of Vera Caspary's suspense novel was begun by director Rouben Mamoulien and cinematographer Lucien Ballard, but thanks to a complex series of backstage intrigues and hostilities, the film was ultimately credited to director Otto Preminger and cameraman Joseph LaShelle (who won an… More

Play Trailer

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By
Otto Preminger
Written By
Jay Dratler, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Samuel Hoffenstein, Ring Lardner, Jerry Cady
Genres
Mystery & Suspense, Classics
On DVD
Mar 15, 2005
20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    A highly polished and debonair whodunit.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Less a crime film than a study in levels of obsession, Laura is one of those classic works that leave their subject matter behind and live on the strength of their seductive style.

  • Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

    A hypnotic and deathlessly interpretable experience.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Gene Tierney makes an appealing figure as the art executive and Vincent Price is convincing as a weak-willed ne'er-do-well.

  • Thomas M. Pryor, New York Times

    The picture on the whole is close to being a top-drawer mystery.

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Steven C


    Otto Preminger's zippy little noir is a really engaging film. It probably features the best examples of the film noir sensibility, yes, even more so than "The Maltese Falcon" or "Double Indemnity." The entire narrative is so alive and so 'new' that… More

  • First L


    Director Otto Preminger weaves quite a spell in the 90 minutes it takes to tell the story of Laura, a murder mystery of the classic forties "noir" variety. The film follows Detective Mark McPherson as he goes about questioning the suspects in the murder of Laura Hunt, an… More

  • Jonathan H


    Laura is a film that exists in a class by itself. A genuine classic -- not only of Film Noir, but of film, period. Otto Preminger, who took over directorial duties after Rouben Mamoulian left the project (possibly signifying the luckiest day of his life), directs this adaptation of… More

  • Reid V


    I was apprehensive to watch this film at first. Noir, a subject I am no expert in, is a sacred cow for many students of film. This film in particular, a holy grail to those students. While I love the morally ambiguous characters, the brilliant shadow play, and the sinister nature of… More

  • Cindy I


    What is wrong with me!?!? The more films I see the more disappointed I am when I get around to seeing a "classic". They almost never live up to their reputation. This one is no exception. I've tried for years to see this, and now that I have....eh. Not that it… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

Trailers & Clips

facebook_logo

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

  • Discover movies your friends are watching
  • Keep track of what you want to see
  • Add your reviews to your Timeline