Nightfall

Play trailer

Nightfall

1956

1h 18m

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

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

May 31, 2019

Full Review

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

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Uneven thriller with some fine set pieces and beautiful photography.

Aug 9, 2007

Full Review

Read all reviews

nick s

A fairly good film. Some aspects could have been better... the characters made illogical decisions, the hero kept beating off armed assailants with bare hands, and the plot lacked juicy surprises. Also the lead actor was a little patchy. But still worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Black and White but does not waste your time ever. Immediate suspense that never lets up. A very eloquent film, simple but beautiful.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Screenwriter Stirling Silliphant offers up a string of implausibilities in this tightly scripted noir. Silliphant does provide master filmmaker Jacques Tourneur cool locations like an oil pump field and outdoor fashion show that give the movie a Hitchcockian-feel. Aldo Ray plays the lead and it's great to see film lovers take a new accounting of his work.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Jacques Torneur maestro del blanco y negro.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

george r

Aldo Ray is so-so, but anne bancroft and the other actors more than compensate. The plot has some weaknesses but the mood is great and i enjoyed the ending a lot.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

deke p

Interesting. quaint 1957 film noir. Only saw it, on tv, 60 yrs later. Brando's sister looked good, as a fashion model "manniquin". Lots of snow and scenery.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jacques Tourneur

Director

Aldo Ray

James Vanning

Brian Keith

John

Anne Bancroft

Marie Gardner

Jocelyn Brando

Laura Fraser

James Gregory

Ben Fraser

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now