Overview
A small-town gas pumper's quiet life is shattered by the return of his dark past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- wistful
- fatalistic
- sensual
- late night viewing
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an exemplary and highly influential film noir, praising its performances, direction, cinematography, fatalistic mood, and sensual atmosphere.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jeff Bailey’s hidden identity and earlier involvement with Whit Sterling and Kathie Moffat drive the present-day danger.
Jeff and Kathie’s attraction repeatedly overrides his knowledge of her betrayal and criminal history.
The film combines sensual longing, criminal deception, and a steadily tightening sense of doom.
While traveling to meet Whit, Jeff tells Ann the story of his earlier investigation, which unfolds in flashback.
Films like Out of the Past, and why
The Big Sleep
shared film noir fatalism, private-eye protagonist, seductive femme fatale, and doomed romantic tension
Double Indemnity
shared shadowy crime plotting, morally compromised characters, betrayal, and atmospheric black-and-white noir style
The Killers
shared wistful noir mood, criminal entanglement, romantic deception, and an inescapable past
Kiss Me Deadly
shared fatalistic crime narrative, hard-boiled investigation, femme fatale dynamics, and bleak atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Jacques Tourneur
- Release Date
- 1947-11-25
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (667)
Cast
- Robert Mitchum
- Jane Greer
- Kirk Douglas
- Paul Valentine
- Virginia Huston
- Rhonda Fleming
- Richard Webb
- Steve Brodie
- Dickie Moore
- Ken Niles
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 Out of the Past about?
- A haunted former private detective is dragged back into a web of criminal betrayal by the woman he once loved and the gangster he tried to escape.
- What is Out of the Past like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Out of the Past as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Out of the Past violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Out of the Past as moderate.
- What did critics think of Out of the Past?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an exemplary and highly influential film noir, praising its performances, direction, cinematography, fatalistic mood, and sensual atmosphere.
- Which films are like Out of the Past?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Killers, and Kiss Me Deadly.
- How long is Out of the Past?
- Out of the Past runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Out of the Past?
- In United States, Out of the Past is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
