Overview
A man races against time to uncover the truth behind his own murder before it's too late.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- fatalistic
- frantic
- late night noir viewing
- classic cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as an inventive, atmospheric, high-concept noir propelled by Edmond O'Brien's urgent performance and Rudolph Maté's visual command.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank Bigelow is given roughly a week to live and races to identify who poisoned him and why.
Bigelow's search for his murderer draws him into a forceful, purposeful existence just as the toxin makes his death inevitable.
Edmond O'Brien's frantic performance and the succession of urgent interrogations give the film an unusually animated noir energy.
The opening has Bigelow report his own murder to a police squad room, after which his account reconstructs the investigation.
Films like D.O.A., and why
The Big Sleep
shared film noir atmosphere, fatalistic mystery, and an ordinary protagonist trapped in a criminal conspiracy
The Maltese Falcon
shared hard-boiled investigation, shadowy criminal underworld, and morally compromised noir suspense
Kiss Me Deadly
shared doomed protagonist, compressed time pressure, and darkly ironic crime-thriller structure
Criss Cross
shared noir fatalism, frantic pursuit, and a protagonist uncovering lethal corruption before time runs out
Movie Details
- Director
- Rudolph Maté
- Release Date
- 1949-12-23
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (206)
Cast
- Edmond O'Brien
- Pamela Britton
- Luther Adler
- Beverly Garland
- Lynn Baggett
- William Ching
- Henry Hart
- Neville Brand
- Laurette Luez
- Jess Kirkpatrick
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Brew, Criterion Channel, MGM Plus, FlixFling, Troma NOW, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Bloodstream
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is D.O.A. about?
- A doomed small-town accountant races through San Francisco's criminal underworld to identify the stranger who poisoned him before his final week expires.
- What is D.O.A. like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of D.O.A. as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is D.O.A. violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in D.O.A. as moderate.
- What did critics think of D.O.A.?
- Critics broadly praise the film as an inventive, atmospheric, high-concept noir propelled by Edmond O'Brien's urgent performance and Rudolph Maté's visual command.
- Which films are like D.O.A.?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Kiss Me Deadly, and Criss Cross.
- How long is D.O.A.?
- D.O.A. runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch D.O.A.?
- In United States, D.O.A. streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Brew, Criterion Channel, MGM Plus, FlixFling, Troma NOW, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Bloodstream.
