Night Must Fall

One of the first-ever psycho-killer films, but not really all that great

Montgomery has showy role in sometimes stagy but generally effective film, with outstanding aid from Russell and Whitty.

Fun mystery with well built tension thanks to some great lead performances. I like that the tension is more about waiting for the other shoe to drop and the reactions of Russell's character than any serious doubt about the outcome, though it does make the runtime feel a little long.

Stage-bound flick with talky, obvious dialogue. Montgomery can't convince me he's a psychopath, Russell can't convince me she has "hidden fires," and neither can convince me they're English. Still, Dame May Whitty is superb as the disagreeable old dowager, the final scene between her and Montgomery is horrific and pathetic, and Kathleen Harrison ("Scrooge"'s Mrs. Dilber)--a fine English character actress--shines as the cook. I'd say this movie is worth a look . . . if you don't expect much.

A psycho-killer drama in 1937 made for a unique experience. The true star was old Dame May Whitty as the attention needing lady of the house. Her performance was absolutely brilliant. Also got to give credit to Robert Montgomery for doing a very different role then what he's used to. It wasn't a natural performance from him, but he pulled it off well. He didn't nail it, but it wasn't far off from a man who rarely steps outside his comfort zone of playing the childish gentleman.

I know way too much about late 1930s filmmaking for this thriller to be very thrilling. Montgomery is good but god Russell just can't sell it, and the script is no help.

For some it might be a little too stage play and stilted but I was loving it from the get go. Just a perfect performance by Montgomery. Very well plotted in that pre-Hitchcock vein (maybe an influence of sort). Just very creepy and sexually explosive for its time.