Overview
A chilling tale of ambition and dark secrets unfolds in a corrupt city.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- brooding
- paranoid
- melancholic
- classic noir night
- rainy day viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's psychologically complex characters, strong leading performances, and sustained noir atmosphere, while noting that its rambling plot can lack finesse and surprise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Iverstown is described as a factory-bound community ruled by Martha's wealth and Walter's district-attorney authority.
Martha, Walter, and Sam remain bound by the secret from their childhood, while its consequences shape marriage and power.
Martha and Walter dominate Iverstown publicly while their shared past destabilizes their marriage and political position.
The childhood incident is revealed in relation to the adults' present-day secrets and Sam's return.
Films like The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, and why
The Big Sleep
A morally compromised small-city power structure and noir investigation expose corruption and buried guilt.
Double Indemnity
A psychologically dense noir centered on manipulation, criminal secrets, and compromised authority.
Out of the Past
A postwar noir where returning figures destabilize an entrenched network of lies and power.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
A dark character-driven study of wealth, coercion, and moral corruption in a tightly controlled community.
Movie Details
- Director
- Lewis Milestone
- Release Date
- 1946-08-19
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (195)
Cast
- Barbara Stanwyck
- Van Heflin
- Lizabeth Scott
- Kirk Douglas
- Judith Anderson
- Roman Bohnen
- Darryl Hickman
- Janis Wilson
- Ann Doran
- Frank Orth
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Brew, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, FlixFling, IndieFlix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, MovieMe
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers about?
- A returning childhood friend threatens to unravel the secret alliance of a ruthless heiress and her compromised district attorney husband.
- What is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers as mild.
- What did critics think of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
- Critics broadly praise the film's psychologically complex characters, strong leading performances, and sustained noir atmosphere, while noting that its rambling plot can lack finesse and surprise.
- Which films are like The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, and The Postman Always Rings Twice.
- How long is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
- In United States, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Brew, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, FlixFling, IndieFlix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Artiflix.
