Overview
A hard-nosed cop finds unexpected redemption in a small town filled with secrets.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- bleak
- tense
- classic noir night
- winter evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Nicholas Ray’s direction, striking snowy photography, and Robert Ryan’s performance while finding the melodramatic story shallow and the redemption too easy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jim Wilson is exiled from city police work after brutalizing suspects and is forced to reconsider his methods during the rural murder investigation.
The winter countryside and snowbound investigation mirror Wilson’s emotional confusion and movement away from urban violence.
Mary Malden’s blindness contrasts with Wilson’s impaired moral vision while her independence reshapes his understanding of the case and himself.
Wilson is sent from the city to a small winter community to investigate the murder of a young girl.
Films like On Dangerous Ground, and why
Detective Story
shared film noir atmosphere, morally compromised law enforcement protagonist, and redemptive crime drama
The Night of the Hunter
shared brooding noir psychology, emotional alienation, and stark visual contrasts
Where the Sidewalk Ends
shared crime investigation, damaged protagonist, and tense moral transformation
The Naked City
shared snowy rural isolation, troubled masculinity, and lyrical noir melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Nicholas Ray
- Release Date
- 1951-12-13
- Runtime
- 82 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (166)
Cast
- Ida Lupino
- Robert Ryan
- Ward Bond
- Charles Kemper
- Anthony Ross
- Ed Begley
- Ian Wolfe
- Sumner Williams
- Gus Schilling
- Frank Ferguson
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 On Dangerous Ground about?
- A brutalized city policeman confronts his own moral blindness when a rural murder case places him beside the independent blind woman whose brother is suspected.
- What is On Dangerous Ground like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of On Dangerous Ground as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is On Dangerous Ground violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in On Dangerous Ground as moderate.
- What did critics think of On Dangerous Ground?
- Critics broadly praise Nicholas Ray’s direction, striking snowy photography, and Robert Ryan’s performance while finding the melodramatic story shallow and the redemption too easy.
- Which films are like On Dangerous Ground?
- Films with a similar feel include Detective Story, The Night of the Hunter, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and The Naked City.
- How long is On Dangerous Ground?
- On Dangerous Ground runs 82 minutes.
- Where can I watch On Dangerous Ground?
- In United States, On Dangerous Ground is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
