Nightfall

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Nightfall

1956

1h 18m

Crime

Drama

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100%

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9 Reviews

75%

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250+ Ratings

In rural Wyoming, James Vanning (Aldo Ray) aids stranded motorists John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond). But after James finds out that the men just pulled off a huge bank heist, they try to kill him. When a harsh storm suddenly hits, the crooks lose their loot, and James manages to escape to Los Angeles, where he goes into hiding. He receives an unwelcome visit, however, from John and Red, who believe that James knows more about their lost money than he's letting on.

David Fear

Time Out

The kind of pedigreed pulp that gets left off greatest-genre-hits lists yet still inspires motormouthed overpraising from directorial enthusiasts.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 9, 2010

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J. Hoberman

Village Voice

Not only a nifty late noir but a model of economical filmmaking -- well-sketched atmosphere, deft characterizations, and a 78-minute running time.

Jun 8, 2010

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Simon Abrams

Slant Magazine

In spite of that tantalizing potential, Nightfall will always just be a promising B picture.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 7, 2010

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Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

Jacques Tourneur has great fun playing with and subverting noir tropes.

May 31, 2019

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Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

Crisply directed, scripted with gems of hardboiled lines and superbly paced, it's a film of darkness and light that ends up in the snowy mountains of Wyoming...

Aug 11, 2010

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Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Uneven thriller with some fine set pieces and beautiful photography.

Aug 9, 2007

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Cohil P

This movie is subherb - against all expectations with fine suspense and astanoshing dialogs - bluray version shows the brillant photography. It's definitly a must-see for fans of film noir and a gift to all Tourneuer-connoisseurs. Played it twice directly from the end. Tourneur not only makes clear what's the temperature of air is, he also let flow real blood through the vains of his characters. Pure enjoyment.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

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Salah A

Well acted, and well paced. A couple of unexpected plot twists makes this enjoyable watching. Not quite a classic. But, a good solid crime thriller.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

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Brian K

Entertaining and suspenseful film noir. Great cinematography in stunning black and white. The movie Fargo must have been influenced by Nightfall.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Luca D

Definitely a solid noir. Acting is a bit rough at first but the movie picks up it's pace very quickly and smooths out it's rough patches. The plot isn't all that deep or twisting. Definitely fun to watch and is shot pretty well. The ending is pretty satisfying. Not a crazy standout noir but I enjoyed it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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John C

Disappointed. Seeing 100% here and over 7.0 on IMDB. Good acting. But just not smartly written. The characters' actions are wildly silly, doing things that make no sense. It's like watching a bad horror movie when you yell at the character not to go into the basement. Trust where there should be no trust. Leaving weapons you could use otherwise. Acting foolishly stupid as if you know you are in a movie and nothing bad will happen.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

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Insomniac X

Surprisingly brutal 50's thriller which struggles to generate tension despite its apparent menace. Coen brothers neo-noir classic Fargo seems to draw inspiration from Nightfall's frozen landscapes, bag of loot lost to a blizzard, and oddly matched pair of murderers, one of whom gets shredded by a snowplow in a manner reminiscent of the notorious wood-chipper scene. Middling movie which secures cult status thanks to a handful of memorable moments.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

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Jacques Tourneur

Director

Aldo Ray

James Vanning

Brian Keith

John

Anne Bancroft

Marie Gardner

Jocelyn Brando

Laura Fraser

James Gregory

Ben Fraser

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Synopsis

In rural Wyoming, James Vanning (Aldo Ray) aids stranded motorists John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond). But after James finds out that the men just pulled off a huge bank heist, they try to kill him. When a harsh storm suddenly hits, the crooks lose their loot, and James manages to escape to Los Angeles, where he goes into hiding. He receives an unwelcome visit, however, from John and Red, who believe that James knows more about their lost money than he's letting on.

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Producer: Ted Richmond
Screenwriter: Stirling Silliphant
Production Co: Copa Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Oct 19, 2010
Runtime: 1h 18m