Overview
A haunting investigation reveals the dark obsession surrounding a beautiful woman.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- elegant
- brooding
- suspenseful
- classic movie night
- late night noir viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Laura as an expertly crafted, psychologically complex film noir mystery whose elegant style, suspenseful construction, and erotic tension outweigh its deliberate improbabilities.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
McPherson becomes increasingly fascinated by Laura while interviewing men who were similarly captivated by her.
Laura dominates the investigation through testimony, memory, and her portrait before the case radically changes direction.
The film contrasts sophisticated apartment interiors and Laura's portrait with suspicion, jealousy, and violent threat.
The investigation hinges on mistaken identity and a major revelation that forces McPherson to reconsider the case.
Films like Laura, and why
The Big Sleep
stylish film noir mystery built around obsession, murder investigation, and psychologically charged romantic tension
Out of the Past
classic noir whodunit featuring seductive mystery, morally compromised suspects, and an investigator navigating deception
Vertigo
elegant psychological murder mystery driven by jealousy, unreliable appearances, and sophisticated dialogue
Movie Details
- Director
- Otto Preminger
- Release Date
- 1944-10-11
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (945)
Cast
- Dana Andrews
- Gene Tierney
- Clifton Webb
- Vincent Price
- Judith Anderson
- Dorothy Adams
- Wally Albright
- Bobby Barber
- Harry Carter
- Lane Chandler
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Laura about?
- An obsessive detective’s elegant murder investigation becomes entangled with the spell cast by a woman he believes is dead.
- What is Laura like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Laura as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Laura violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Laura as mild.
- What did critics think of Laura?
- Critics broadly regard Laura as an expertly crafted, psychologically complex film noir mystery whose elegant style, suspenseful construction, and erotic tension outweigh its deliberate improbabilities.
- Which films are like Laura?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, and Vertigo.
- How long is Laura?
- Laura runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Laura?
- In United States, Laura streams on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
