Overview
A serial killer stalks the streets of Paris, and a dapper inspector must navigate a web of eccentric tenants to solve the case.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- playful
- classic mystery night
- french cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an entertaining, stylishly constructed French comic thriller with an ingenious mystery and lively performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wens investigates killings among flamboyant boarding-house tenants while Mila pursues publicity through theatrical impersonation.
Wens rents a room at No. 21 disguised as a Protestant minister, with Mila posing as his wife.
Suspects are arrested, yet further murders occur, sustaining uncertainty around the identity of Monsieur Durand.
The investigation centers on a boarding house at No. 21 Avenue Junot in Paris, where every tenant may conceal a secret.
Films like The Murderer Lives at Number 21, and why
The Lady Vanishes
shared comic whodunit structure, eccentric suspects, and playful murder investigation
The 39 Steps
shared French crime comedy, escalating mistaken identities, and brisk suspense
The Lodger
shared boarding-house mystery, serial-killer intrigue, and darkly comic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Henri-Georges Clouzot
- Release Date
- 1942-08-07
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (167)
Cast
- Pierre Fresnay
- Suzy Delair
- Jean Tissier
- Pierre Larquey
- Noël Roquevert
- René Génin
- Jean Despeaux
- Marc Natol
- Huguette Vivier
- Odette Talazac
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Murderer Lives at Number 21 about?
- A sharp Parisian detective and his publicity-hungry mistress infiltrate a suspicious boarding house where every arrest only deepens a serial-killer mystery.
- What is The Murderer Lives at Number 21 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Murderer Lives at Number 21 as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Murderer Lives at Number 21 violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Murderer Lives at Number 21 as mild.
- What did critics think of The Murderer Lives at Number 21?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an entertaining, stylishly constructed French comic thriller with an ingenious mystery and lively performances.
- Which films are like The Murderer Lives at Number 21?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, and The Lodger.
- How long is The Murderer Lives at Number 21?
- The Murderer Lives at Number 21 runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Murderer Lives at Number 21?
- In United States, The Murderer Lives at Number 21 streams on Criterion Channel.
