In a Lonely Place 1950

In a Lonely Place

1950 · United States · Directed by Nicholas Ray · 93 min

RomanticTense Great first watch · Easy Drama

A screenwriter suspected of murder begins a romance with the neighbour who gave him an alibi, while his volatility makes trust increasingly fragile.

What to expect

Nicholas Ray makes romantic intimacy and fear occupy the same rooms. Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame resist simple noir types, creating a relationship in which love cannot cancel the evidence of danger.

How to ease in

The murder mystery is not the only question. Watch Laurel’s changing attention to Dix’s gestures and the way friends normalise behaviour she experiences as a threat.

Heads-up

A quick, non-exhaustive note Includes murder, intimate-partner threat, explosive anger, physical assault, misogyny, alcohol, and emotional abuse.
Momo's Note May contain spoilers Who is Momo? →

A screenwriter suspected of murder begins a romance with the neighbour who gave him an alibi, while his volatility makes trust increasingly fragile.

I want the apartment courtyard to be a bridge between them, but it gradually becomes a place for watching. The same closeness that begins the romance makes every change in Dix impossible for Laurel to ignore.

Open the note ↓

I want the apartment courtyard to be a bridge between them, but it gradually becomes a place for watching. The same closeness that begins the romance makes every change in Dix impossible for Laurel to ignore.

— Momo

Momo with notes about this film

Credits & versions

Credits

Version map

Criterion presentation93 min93 minutes is attached only to the named Criterion presentation. No edition, cut, score, territory, frame rate, source element, or restoration detail is inferred.Runtime reference · Checked 2026-08-20

Where to go next

Want a gentler, shorter, or stranger next film? Ask Momo for something like this →
Momo is on shift. Visit Momo Cinema →

Continue through the catalogue →