Overview
A hustler's blind ambition leads him down a path of self-deception and ruin.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- bleak
- frantic
- paranoid
- classic noir night
- cinephile viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Jules Dassin’s location-shot noir for its tense construction, vivid London atmosphere, and Richard Widmark’s commanding performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Harry Fabian repeatedly risks his relationships and safety while pursuing financial independence through his wrestling scheme.
Fabian believes he is consistently ahead of his rivals even as his lies compound and his plan collapses.
The story moves through Soho’s wrestling arenas, clubs, and hustling circles during London nights.
The location shooting and shadow-heavy nocturnal London imagery emphasize Fabian’s increasingly constricted options.
Films like Night and the City, and why
The Third Man
shared film noir fatalism, urban criminal underworld, and self-destructive ambition
The Asphalt Jungle
shared postwar city corruption, morally compromised hustlers, and expressionistic noir atmosphere
The Killing
shared doomed criminal schemes, claustrophobic urban tension, and bleak crime drama
Pickpocket
shared restless antihero, nocturnal cityscape, and corrosive personal ambition
Movie Details
- Director
- Jules Dassin
- Release Date
- 1950-06-15
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (297)
Cast
- Richard Widmark
- Francis L. Sullivan
- Gene Tierney
- Googie Withers
- Stanislaus Zbyszko
- Herbert Lom
- Hugh Marlowe
- Mike Mazurki
- Charles Farrell
- Ada Reeve
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Night and the City about?
- A desperate London grifter turns an aging wrestling legend into the centerpiece of a doomed scheme for wealth, dragging himself into a tightening web of lies.
- What is Night and the City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Night and the City as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Night and the City violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Night and the City as mild.
- What did critics think of Night and the City?
- Critics broadly praise Jules Dassin’s location-shot noir for its tense construction, vivid London atmosphere, and Richard Widmark’s commanding performance.
- Which films are like Night and the City?
- Films with a similar feel include The Third Man, The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing, and Pickpocket.
- How long is Night and the City?
- Night and the City runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Night and the City?
- In United States, Night and the City streams on YouTube TV.
