The Lodger

Atmospheric. Handsomely and inventively shot. Above all: masterfully and teasingly suspenseful. Although leaving the delightful Oberon weirdly unfazed, the titular lodger (an intimidating Cregar) must be said to sport legitimate creepiness. Found it vastly superior to Hitchcock's silent in every way but, because there are some significant differences, they work just fine as a double bill. I can recommend watching Brahm's version second. It's excellent and, to my knowledge, criminally under-seen!

Dare I say, Brahm out-Hitches the master. The pacing is tighter, the photography is absolutely phenomenal and it doesn't have that ridiculous studio-mandated ending. It also has Laird Cregar, who does a fantastic job in the title role. Until the end, you're never sure if he's the killer or not. I've seen a few other movies with him, but he really stands out here. I expected this to be a useless, inferior remake. Instead I got an elegant and well-crafted thriller.

Very impressed with this both visually and with the performances. There is a creep factor to Laird Cregar that almost penetrates you through the screen. You can cut the tension in the air anytime he's confronted with the actress niece and I found myself mesmerized by it. As the capper of a Lodger fourfer this was my favorite of the bunch by a long shot.

Haunting re-adaptation of The Lodger, which originally was one of Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated silent movies. The 1944 Hollywood remake with John Brahm behind the camera, takes a different turn and looks a lot more polished. Beautiful sets and expressive shots. Super expressive shots! Might not feel as mysterious as the silent one, and does move a little too slowly for a film which possessed such intensity. But there's no denying Laird Cregar as a sexual beast, a real powerful Jack the Ripper!

The film is atmospheric and generally well-done. Laird Cregar was good and creepy, and I always enjoy George Sanders. However, I blame the director for Cregar being *too* creepy and the rest too oblivious. Suspension of disbelief was tough when others (esp. the girl) cheerfully bend over backwards to explain away every creepy thing he says and does. And what's with the inspector emptying a pistol at the bad guy when he pointedly says earlier that guns aren't allowed even the police?

From a great opening sequence it never stops rolling. Sanders does a solid job here, as does Oberon, but the undeniable lead is Cregar who is excellent. He balances being creepy and charming just right to make it believable that people are suspicious but also willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Taking this kind of angle is kind of risky, given the thin character development, but there's enough of it to satisfy audience curiosity and the rest is made up with a very menacing atmosphere.

Made me a little dizzy with all those Dutch-angle shots. Cregar oozes creepiness, perhaps a little too much. It's fun for a slightly-suspenseful race around a theater at the end; otherwise it's pretty predictable.

Solid thriller. Very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's silent film of the same name (they are based on the same source material), but with a very different outcome. Laird Cregar, who I was unfamiliar with before this movie, was incredible in the title role. He sadly died of a heart attack at 30, leaving who knows how many great performances on the table. A good film, but not as interesting as the Hitchcock version.

Hugely disappointing, after an atmospheric opening. Laird Cregar is portrayed as a creepy weirdo from his very first appearance leaving little doubt as to the outcome. The great George Sanders is good value even when phoning it in but other than that, some nifty shots prowling down foggy streets is about all this has to offer.

Awesome!!!

On technical merits, it was good. Nice and atmospheric, but too American. It just feels like that damn production code got in the way too often. Did it have to end so cleanly with that dumb as dogshit shot of the dude's feet sinking into the river (not a bad shot, I just hated it storywise)?

Nevermind the idiot who decided to categorize this as a film noir. This is Classic, atmospheric and handsomely shot horror with that teasing Anglo-American glint in its eye. Also with a sinister turn from Laird Cregar, whom I didn't know, as the lodger, almost the equal to Peter Lorre's M-killer.

75.500

Utter shit. For most of it, the lodger all but screams "I am the ripper" at his hosts who remain totally oblivious. One or two of his most laboriously "morbid" and "creepy" monologues to the leading woman, complete with "sinister" lighting across his eyes, end with a beaming smile from her and a "we've just had such an interesting conversation". Aside from those good laughs, this movie really has nothing to offer. It is the epitome of naivety, even by 1940's standards.

A first rate Victorian era chiller, with fantastic period atmosphere and an unsettling performance by Laird Cregar.