Overview
A woman confined to her bed discovers a chilling plot that could cost a life, and time is running out to prevent it.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- paranoid
- claustrophobic
- foreboding
- classic noir evening
- suspense movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's inventive premise, escalating final reel, and Barbara Stanwyck's terror-stricken performance, while some find its layered flashback construction convoluted.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Leona's accidental connection to a telephone call becomes the mechanism through which separate characters, locations, and threats are revealed.
Leona is bedridden and must rely on the telephone to identify and stop a murder while remaining physically isolated.
Leona's status as an heiress and her comfortable home do not protect her from criminal danger or marital uncertainty.
The film uses flashbacks within flashbacks to reconstruct the relationships and events surrounding the overheard murder plot.
Films like Sorry, Wrong Number, and why
The Big Sleep
shared film noir atmosphere, criminal conspiracy, and a vulnerable protagonist trapped by circumstance
The Telephone Box
shared claustrophobic suspense, phone-centered investigation, and escalating fear within domestic spaces
Gaslight
shared female-centered psychological tension, noir fatalism, and a protagonist attempting to uncover danger
Movie Details
- Director
- Anatole Litvak
- Release Date
- 1948-09-24
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (218)
Cast
- Barbara Stanwyck
- Burt Lancaster
- Ann Richards
- Wendell Corey
- Harold Vermilyea
- Ed Begley
- Leif Erickson
- William Conrad
- John Bromfield
- Jimmy Hunt
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sorry, Wrong Number about?
- A bedridden heiress turns a mistaken telephone connection into a desperate race to expose a murder plot before it reaches its victim.
- What is Sorry, Wrong Number like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sorry, Wrong Number as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sorry, Wrong Number violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Sorry, Wrong Number as mild.
- What did critics think of Sorry, Wrong Number?
- Critics broadly praise the film's inventive premise, escalating final reel, and Barbara Stanwyck's terror-stricken performance, while some find its layered flashback construction convoluted.
- Which films are like Sorry, Wrong Number?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, The Telephone Box, and Gaslight.
- How long is Sorry, Wrong Number?
- Sorry, Wrong Number runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sorry, Wrong Number?
- In United States, Sorry, Wrong Number is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
