Kiss Me Deadly
Seen it?1955 | 106 min | Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 46 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1955: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that "something big" is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$726K worldwide on a $410K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 76K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Robert Aldrich
- Ralph MeekerMike Hammer
- Albert DekkerDr. G.E. Soberin
- Paul StewartCarl Evello
- Juano HernándezEddie Yeager
- Wesley AddyLt. Pat Murphy
- Marian CarrFriday
- Maxine CooperVelda
- Cloris LeachmanChristina Bailey
- Gaby RodgersLily Carver
- Nick DennisNick