Overview
A chilling investigation unfolds as a detective races against time to protect an innocent child.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- foreboding
- disturbing
- classic thriller night
- serious film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, atmospheric European crime thriller distinguished by its moral seriousness, suspense, and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Matthäi commits himself to finding the killer after the child’s murder, and that vow shapes his increasingly obsessive pursuit.
Matthäi uses a girl resembling the murdered victims as bait while concealing the danger from her and her mother.
The officer’s commitment outlasts ordinary investigative procedure and drives him to construct an elaborate trap for the killer.
The title and premise emphasize murder occurring in familiar, exposed surroundings rather than in conventionally shadowy spaces.
Films like It Happened in Broad Daylight, and why
M
shared serial-killer investigation, child endangerment, procedural tension, and morally driven detective protagonist
The Silence of the Lambs
shared grim crime investigation, psychological suspense, and a detective confronting an elusive killer
Memories of Murder
shared bleak investigative drama, rural menace, and mounting dread around a predator targeting children
The Vanishing
shared European crime atmosphere, obsessive investigation, and unsettling ambiguity surrounding violent crime
Movie Details
- Director
- Ladislao Vajda
- Release Date
- 1958-06-09
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (157)
Cast
- Heinz Rühmann
- Sigfrit Steiner
- Siegfried Lowitz
- Michel Simon
- Heinrich Gretler
- Gert Fröbe
- Berta Drews
- Ewald Balser
- María Rosa Salgado
- Anita von Ow
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is It Happened in Broad Daylight about?
- A guilt-haunted police officer turns a child into bait in a relentless attempt to expose the serial killer who murdered girls in the woods.
- What is It Happened in Broad Daylight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of It Happened in Broad Daylight as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is It Happened in Broad Daylight violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in It Happened in Broad Daylight as moderate.
- What did critics think of It Happened in Broad Daylight?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, atmospheric European crime thriller distinguished by its moral seriousness, suspense, and performances.
- Which films are like It Happened in Broad Daylight?
- Films with a similar feel include M, The Silence of the Lambs, Memories of Murder, and The Vanishing.
- How long is It Happened in Broad Daylight?
- It Happened in Broad Daylight runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch It Happened in Broad Daylight?
- In United States, It Happened in Broad Daylight is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
