Double Indemnity (1944)
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An insurance salesman and a woman conspire to commit murder for a double indemnity payout, only to find themselves ensnared in a web of suspicion and betrayal.
The story
Insurance salesman Walter Neff meets a woman named Phyllis Dietrichson who is seeking a life insurance policy on her husband's life without his knowledge. Neff, though initially hesitant, becomes fascinated by her and eventually agrees to help her orchestrate a murder designed to trigger a 'double indemnity' clause. Their illicit partnership is soon scrutinized by Neff's colleague, Barton Keyes, a sharp-eyed claims manager who begins to suspect that the circumstances surrounding the husband's death are not what they seem. As the investigation deepens, the two conspirators must navigate the growing danger of being caught while dealing with the escalating consequences of their shared crime.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Wounded from a gunshot, insurance salesman Walter Neff records a dictaphone confession for claims manager Barton Keyes. One year earlier, Neff and Phyllis Dietrichson conspired to murder her husband to collect a double indemnity insurance payout. After the murder, Neff and Phyllis face the scrutiny of Keyes, who suspects them of fraud. Neff also learns of Phyllis's manipulative nature through her stepdaughter, Lola. As the investigation intensifies, Neff and Phyllis's relationship turns volatile. Neff eventually confronts Phyllis, and after a tense standoff where they nearly kill each other, Neff shoots her. The film concludes with Neff's final confession to Keyes, who realizes the truth just as the police arrive.
- First release year
- 1944
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Billy Wilder
- Writers
- Billy Wilder · screenplay; Raymond Chandler · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Fred MacMurray · Walter Neff; Barbara Stanwyck · Phyllis Dietrichson; Edward G. Robinson · Barton Keyes; Porter Hall; Jean Heather; Tom Powers; Byron Barr; Richard Gaines
- Genres
- film noir; crime; thriller
- Themes
- fatalism; self-destruction; corruption; greed
- Tone and mood
- noir; tense; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; insurance fraud; noir; murder mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- James M. Cain's novel of the same name
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 97% · scale: percentage · review count: 110; Metacritic · score: 95 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.; The script was adapted from a novel by James M. Cain.; The character of Barton Keyes was changed from a clueless colleague to a mentor and antagonist.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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